Blue and Blond
by priestpotter
Summary: The Full Story of Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley - told from both their POVs
1. Purple Hair

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR today and will not be in the near and distant future**

**This is my first fanfiction so please read and review, if you like it I'll add more chapters.**

" But Te-DDY! We'll only use it for a little while!"

"No way Vicky! You know your Aunt Ginny would kill us if she saw us using her old Firebolt!"

"She wouldn't _kill _us. And besides she hasn't even used it since her Harpies days AND I really want to learn how to fly AND you're the only one who will teach me!"

"Why can't your Dad or Mum teach you?"

"They say I'm only seven and that's too young but I wanna try!"

"And what makes you think I can teach you?! I've never flown before and I'm only nine."

"Yeah but you've seen like Uncle Harry fly like a _BAGILLION _times! We'd only be gone for a half hour, they'd never know!"

"I dunno Vicky….. I guess I DO wanna try but…..you're sure only a half hour?"

"I'm sure I'm sure!"

The two kids slowly walked over to Grandma Weasley's broom shed where Aunt Ginny always kept her Firebolt. The seven year old blond walking much more confidently than the nine year old blue-haired boy behind her. Victoire opened up the shed and immediately found the old broom. The writing on the handle was slightly chipped but it still showed _Firebolt _in faded gold. Listening for any approaching footsteps she slowly took out the broom.

"Are you sure no one is going to come looking for this broom?" asked a slightly frightened Teddy

"No way, Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny, are upstairs, Mum and Grandma are cooking dinner, Dad, Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, Uncle George, Aunt Angelina, are all out in the garden. Uncle Percy is at work, like always, and Uncle Charlie is in Romania of course." Victoire knowingly replied.

"So where do we fly this broom anyways?" asked Teddy

"I dunno, you've been here at the burrow just as often as me! How about on that hill behind those trees?"

"Ok I guess so you're carrying the Firebolt right?"

"Yeah and you're carrying me?"

"Sure….wait! what?"

Victoire then jumped on the back of a very surprised Teddy and kicked her heels like she was riding one of the giant horses her Mum always talked about.

Laughingly uncontrollably, both kids made it up the steep hill with Teddy obviously more out of breath. After Teddy and Victoire caught their breath they started to get really excited. Not even Victoire thought they would _actually _be this close to riding her first broom.

"Ok I get to go first because I'm girl" stated Victoire, trying to act much more confident then she felt.

"No way! I'm two years older AND I just carried you up a steep hill in case you forgot!" countered Teddy, trying to pry Victoire fingers off the handle of the old broom.

"Nuh-uh! I'm not even that heavy you flobberworm!" shouted Victoire

"Well……. your breath smells like Dungbombs!" replied Teddy

"Yeah well you're nuttier than squirrel poo!" shouted Victoire playfully

"Well you're more of a _loser _than the Chudley Cannons" yelled Teddy while laughing

"At least I don't look like I had trolls for parents!" laughed Victoire

Teddy suddenly gave up his fight for the handle for the broom and looked at his feet after walking away a few yards. His hair slowly turning from its normal electric blue to a light yellow. Victoire could see the hurt expression on his face.

"Oh Teddy I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it, I know your parents weren't trolls" apologized Victoire

After a long silence, Teddy sighed, "It's ok Vicky, I'm not mad, I'm just…. I dunno."

Victoire was at a loss for words. She felt so stupid for bringing up Teddy's parents. She just took hers for granted and couldn't imagine not coming home to her parents and not sleeping only a room down from them if she ever got scared.

She did the only thing she could think of and walked over and hugged Teddy as hard as she could right around his midsection. Teddy, all sadness forgotten, turned his hair a deep shade of purple and his face deep red.

"Hey Teddy, why is your face all red and your hair purple?" asked a confused Victoire.

"Uh……… no reason, I just…wanna ride the broom…ok?" spluttered out Teddy.

"Oh ok, how about we ride it at the same time, there is enough room" suggested Victoire who still felt incredibly guilty.

"Yeah ok, lets go!"

Teddy mounted the broom and then Victoire sat right in front of him and pressed her back against his chest. She liked the feeling, Teddy felt warm and she felt…..secure. She was nervous before but being next to Teddy calmed her for some reason.

_It must be because were best friends_ thought Victoire unsurely

When she turned around to ask Teddy about it she noticed he had turned a deep red again and his hair was the same shade of purple as it was before. He seemed to be looking anywhere but at her too.

"Teddy are you feeling ok? You keep going all red in the face and your hair is purple again."

"Yeah…..I'm fine… let's just kick off ok?"

Victoire and Teddy flew around on the Firebolt, or at least they _tried _to fly it as they never flew more than a foot off the ground and jumped off if they went too fast. After about twenty minutes, however, they started to get the hang of it, even if it was at a snail's pace. Teddy and Victoire forgot about their moment of sadness and were laughing and yelling the whole time.

"Wow we should have done this months ago, you were soooo right Vicky!" exclaimed an ecstatic Teddy.

"See, you should listen to me more often, when have I ever led you wrong?"

"How about the time you said we should put some of your Uncle George's products in the toilet because it scared you?" laughed Teddy.

"Well we got the toilet seat off the roof eventually didn't we! And it was only Aunt Angelina who ever found out too."

"Ok what about the time you said we should give Uncle Ron's owl Pig some fireworks to see if it burped funny colors?"

"Well how was I supposed to know that Pig would shoot purple flames out the other end for a week! It didn't say anything about that on the box did it?!"

"Ok how about the time.."

Whatever that time was Teddy never got to finish as he got tackled by an annoyed Victoire. Both were rolling down the hill, Teddy still holding the Firebolt in his left hand, laughing and trying to get the upper hand. At the base of the hill, Victoire eventually won the match by sitting right on top of Teddy. Teddy, however, wasn't laughing anymore and, for the third time in less than an hour, had a bright red face and deep purple hair when he realized their position.

"Uh… I have to go Vic, I think I… hear Gran calling me….so yeah, here is the Firebolt, make sure you put it in the shed and I'll…see you later.. ok?" yelled Teddy before running off toward the garden of the burrow.

Victoire stood there confused for a minute before shrugging and walking back towards the shed. She put away the broom and headed towards the kitchen where she found her Mum helping out Grandma Weasley with dinner.

"Hey Mum, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead honey." Replied Fleur without turning around from the soup she was stirring.

"Well Teddy and I were..uh…running around and he started acting really weird"

"I didn't know you could run around while on a Firebolt that was supposed to stay in the shed until a certain little lady was old enough to ride it."

Uh-oh BUSTED

"Well ok we were on the Firebolt today but Teddy was acting weird before and after that too!"

"What happened during these _weird _times?" inquired Fleur.

"Well I said his parents were trolls and he got really sad. I know he doesn't see them, but they love him right? Who wouldn't love Teddy! Why can't his parents just come home instead of making him stay with Uncle Harry and his Gran? There is nothing wrong with Teddy!" rambled Victoire who was starting to get close to tears now. She and Teddy were best friends and if _he _was sad then _she _was sad too, even if she didn't know why.

"Oh honey" replied Fleur softly and grabbed her child in a hug, "its ok, Teddy's parents love him very much, but they can't come home."

"Why not?" asked Victoire who had started to calm now.

"I'll explain when you're older, but just know that Teddy does have people that love him, even if his parents can't be there for him right now."

"Ok, but the other times he acted weird we weren't even talking about his parents."

"What were you doing?"

"Well, the first time happened when I hugged him, he got red in the face and his hair turned deep purple. It happened again when we both sat on the broom together and then a third time when I pinned him down in wrestling."

"Haha, wow our little Teddy is growing up, Victoire honey, I know you won't like this but you'll figure this out on your own when you're older. There is nothing wrong with Teddy at all, so you don't need to be worried, ok?" finished Fleur.

"ok I guess, I'm gonna go find him, he said he was in the garden, I hope there are gnomes out there too!" shouted a happy, but only slightly less confused, Victoire.

Fleur sighed and let go of her seven year old blonde child. She and Bill were gonna have to take a closer look at little Teddy Remus Lupin. Thinking of little Victoire and Teddy, she turned around and started stirring the soup once more with a small smile on her face.


	2. Blasting Bouncing Bombarders

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR…obviously**

**I said I wouldn't add more chapters unless I got a few good reviews BUT I did get one very helpful review and I was never much of a bluffer anyways. Again—read and review!**

The entire Weasley clan, except Charlie who was still dancing with dragons in Romania, was enjoying a day at the Burrow. Like almost any weekend, Bill and Fleur had brought Victoire and Andromeda brought not-so-little-anymore Teddy. Unlike any other weekend, however, Percy was present since he got the day off for his recent promotion in the Ministry. Nobody was sure what the promotion _was _of course as everyone but Mrs. Weasley usually zoned him out. This didn't stop Percy from rambling on, rather annoyingly, about the intricacies of his new position, however. George continually mouthed _Bed Pan Washer _or _Chamber Pot Cleaner_ while Percy was talking. More importantly, except to Percy, was that tomorrow was September 1st and Teddy Lupin, blue hair and all, would be boarding the Hogwarts Express.

"Oh I just can't believe little Teddy is going to Hogwarts" exclaimed a teary eyed Mrs. Weasley.

"Now, now Molly Teddy isn't so little anymore, are you Teddy? Not after turning the big one-one, hey?" replied a grey-haired, streaked with Weasley red, Mr. Weasley.

"Um..no..i guess not" said a nervous looking Teddy. He was currently sitting on the lawn near the garden on one edge of a giant circle made up almost entirely of red-heads. The only adults to break up the ring of fire, as it appeared to the nervous eleven year old, was the bushy-brown hair of Hermione, the silver-blond hair of Fleur, and the black hair of Angelina and his godfather Harry. The other children, including his godbrothers and godcousins, were running around playing tag farther out in the lawn.

"Don't worry Teddy, I'm sure you'll do great at Hogwarts," started Hermione "Headmistress McGonagall might be old…

"And strict" added George with a face that remembered only too well the detentions he served under that certain professor.

"Yes, and strict," agreed Hermione reluctantly, "but she makes a great Headmistress and it could be worse you know, you could have Professor Trelawney as … Headmistress" finished Hermione quickly after giving an involuntary shutter.

"Oh come on Hermione, he doesn't even know who that is yet," replied Teddy's godfather.

Andromeda, or Gran as Teddy referred to her, remained silent throughout the entire exchange. She had watery eyes, surpassing those even on Mrs. Weasley, and stared at Teddy, who was now joined by a slightly out-of-breath Victoire.

"There you are Victoire," exclaimed Fleur, who's English had improved remarkably after eleven years living on this side of the English channel, "where did you run off to?"

"Oh nowhere really, I was just…walking around…for a little while," replied Victoire as innocently as she could.

"Oh really? You know Victoire, you may look like your Mom, but I see a whole lot of Weasley in there too," laughed her Uncle Ron.

No more than thirty seconds had gone by when there was a small explosion that seemed to come from one of the rooms of the Burrow. Victoire and Teddy looked at each other just briefly, but then quickly looked away with huge grins on their faces. After a discreet high-five between the two they put on their best what-in-the-world-could –that-have-been faces.

"I'll go check it out," stated Victoire's Uncle George. He then got up and went inside the lopsided home. After about five minutes he came back out laughing, but then, after seeing his Mother's stern glare, stopped immediately.

"Someone..er…seemed to have……misplaced….. the entire store of bouncing bombarders I had planned to unveil later tonight. They seem to have been placed completely…..accidently" after a quick glance at Teddy and Victoire "in my beloved brother Percy's room, where they seemed to have hit a large firework that I….I mean _someone_…. put under his pillow," finished George who was now grinning wildly despite his Mother.

Percy, who had planned on the staying the night at the Burrow, quickly got up and ran into the Burrow. After a few glances between the people remaining outside, everyone quickly got up to see what the…uh…..unfortunate accident….had done to Percy's room. They were not disappointed as Percy was attempting to rescue his possessions from what seemed like brightly colored cricket balls that were bouncing madly inside the cramped room. He seemed to be having difficulty as the colored balls, multiplying every time they hit each other, were being propelled even faster by green and red sparks trailing from them. The balls were hitting Percy almost continuously when he entered one of their paths. Although they didn't seem to hurt, they left a giant colored mark wherever they touched him, including one puke green ball that hit him squarely between the eyes. Percy soon ran out of the room, looking like someone who lost a fight against dozens of paint cans, carrying his possession filled cauldron while muttering several things not suitable for children to hear. Needless to say, the observers in the hallways were roaring with laughter with Victoire and Teddy rolling on the ground with tears in their eyes.

"Wow," exclaimed George, "if I just add a little magic black powder to the bouncing bombarders they'll be even better. They'll be…..Blasting Bouncing Bombarders! I got the idea from bludgers, you know, only without the nasty broken bones side effect."

After Harry and Ron cleaned up the room and disposed of the BBBs, everyone went back down into the garden. After only about ten minutes, however, everyone was called in for dinner. The food was as exceptional as always. The dinner, eaten outside as the kitchen would have been packed like a sardine can, was as loud as any Weasley dinner. With not only about a dozen adults, there were plenty of screaming children, including Louis, Dominique, James, Albus, and several others. After dinner, there was treacle tart for dessert and the conversation soon fell to almost everybody's favorite topic, Quidditch.

"So Teddy," began his godfather," first years aren't usually allowed on the team, but think you'll try out for the team next year, eh? Maybe as a Seeker?"

"Or a beater!"

"Or a keeper!"

"Or a chaser!"

After about twenty minutes of arguing which position was better between Harry, Ginny, Angelina, George, and Ron, Bill finally spoke up.

"Ok, ok, I think that's enough dessert talk, Victoire, would you help me and your Mother put to bed Louis and Dominique?" Both of whom had fallen asleep at the table along with the other children. Only James was still awake as he groggily was about to put the remainder of his dessert down the back of his brother's pants. He never managed, however, as Ginny was giving one of her patented stares.

A little while later, most of the other guests went home and promised to be back to see Teddy off at King's Cross Station the next day. It was only Andromeda, Bill, and Fleur that stayed the night. Percy had left after dinner with rainbow -spotted robes.

"Hey Teddy, you up?" asked the nine-year-old Victoire, who had snuck into Teddy's room after everyone had gone to sleep.

"Yeah I'm up, I can't sleep, all I can think about is tomorrow." replied Teddy. He was laying in his bed staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah..me too," she said as she bounded into the room and pushed Teddy over so she would have room to get into his bed.

"Yeah Vicky, you can come into my room and share my bed! It was _very _nice and polite of you to ask before doing so as well, I am deeply impressed," spoke Teddy with his best, and obviously sarcastic, serious face on.

"Oh shut up," laughed Victoire, not fooled for a second. "But really, you worried about tomorrow?"

"No, I'm not worried, I'm just…. I dunno…anxious I guess," breathed Teddy.

"Yeah its gonna be weird not having you around all the time, it seems like yesterday we rode our first broom together. I can't believe that was five years ago!"

"I know! You'll have everybody here though," Teddy assured her," and I'll be back to see you during breaks and stuff."

"Yeah but who is gonna help me prank people while you're gone? I mean, today was great, did you see the look on Uncle Percy's face when he was trying to not get his precious quills hit?"

"Oh yeah I did," laughed Teddy, " and when he stormed out of that room his face looked like he was trying to lay a dragon egg!"

After laughing for a little while, Victoire put her head down on the pillow and fell almost straight asleep. She stayed awake just long enough to finish their conversation.

"Write to me every day ok Teddy?" and in a voice barely above a whisper "and don't forget about me."

"I'll write to you every hour if you want." replied Teddy, and after he was sure Vicky had fallen asleep, "and I won't forget about you…ever."

The next morning came much too fast for Teddy. He was already packed so he stayed in bed for a little while longer. Sleeping next to him was his best friend Vicky. He really was going to miss her a lot. Running his hand through his blue hair, got up and started to get dressed. Two Years! He couldn't believe it would take that long for Victoire to go to Hogwarts too. They had been joined at the hip for as long as Teddy could remember. Every important memory he ever had was with Vicky, including a lot a bad memories, usually after whatever had made the good memories so much fun.

"_No use in worrying about that now, but how to wake her up?_" thought Teddy mischievously. No, he probably shouldn't, he only had until eleven with her today and he probably shouldn't have her mad at him.

The next few hours were a blur as he got all of his stuff ready and got into the Ministry car with his Gran, Bill, Fleur, Vicky, his godfather Harry, and Ginny. Teddy asked for only a few people to see him off, he didn't need his first memory of Hogwarts to be boarding a train with twenty or so people crying or trying to hold on to him.

"How come were allowed to have Ministry car? I thought they didn't lend these out a lot?" asked Teddy

"Well being an Auror does have special privileges and you could say the Ministry owes me a few hundred thousand favors or so," laughed his godfather.

The ride went smoothly and soon enough, Teddy was standing in front on the Hogwarts Express ready to board. Bill and Fleur gave him a few encouraging words and Ginny gave him a long hug. His Gran also gave him a hug but then seemed unable to let go. Harry had to all but pry her away from him.

"Now Teddy, as your godfather I am obligated to say that you should not break any rules and study hard every night. As your father's friend of course I say have fun, only pull a prank if it's funny, and make sure you don't try and break George's detention record for first years, it'll break his heart," Harry laughed. He then gave him a one arm hugged and ruffled his hair. "Hogwarts is great and you'll do fine, I know that for a fact."

The last person left, the hardest person it would be to say goodbye to, was standing right in front of him. She didn't say anything for a while, just stared at him like looking at anything else would be a waste. She walked over to him and gave him the fiercest hug he had ever had. She seemed to want to convey everything in that one motion. Sadness that he was leaving, frustration that she couldn't go, and fear that he would come back and something will have changed.

"Goodbye Teddy, I'll miss you," that seemed all she could choke out.

"Goodbye Vicky, I'll miss you too."

After that he got up on the train and waved to his godfather and everybody else waiting to see him off. When the train went around the corner he sighed and went to look for a cabin.

**Next chapter will be pretty short, just Teddy on the train and the sorting, but then the chapter after that will be Teddy's third year and Victoire's first. Kinda formula I know, but yeah if it ain't broke don't fix it right? Right. **

**READ AND REVIEW**


	3. Puffies

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR today, tomorrow, or any day after**

Teddy slowly walked down the length of the train, his hair turning different shades of blue as always happens when he feels nervous or unsure. Peering in each of the windows of the compartments he passed he noticed nearly all of them were packed. About two-thirds down the fire engine red Hogwarts Express he arrived at a compartment with only one other student.

"Hey can I sit down here? I can't find anywhere else," asked Teddy after opening the sliding door.

"Yeah sure my name's Christian Macmillan, first time on the train, you?" asked Christian. Macmillan had short cut brown hair, a roundish face, and kind brown eyes. He seemed, well, like any other first year to step on the Hogwarts Express.

"Yeah I'm a first year too, my name's Ted Lupin, but everyone calls me Teddy," answered Teddy relieved to have found another first year.

Teddy and Christian had just finished talking when two other people burst through the door apparently yelling at each other.

"You KNOW you did that on purpose and don't even tell me you didn't!" yelled a young girl with shoulder-length red hair and hazel eyes. She seemed to have pushed the nervous, yet incredibly stubborn, boy into the room. The boy had short blond hair and green eyes and seemed about the same age as everyone else in the now slightly crowded compartment.

"I told you! It was an ACCIDENT! A-C-C-I-D-E-N-T!" answered the blond-haired boy.

"How in the world did you _accidently _feed my friend's cat Flatulent Fibers?! The whole compartment smells like a dead rat defecated itself!"

"Well, I mean really, isn't that what it probably _should _smell like? If it didn't I would have that cat checked out immediately."

"Hey ok, hold on!" yelled Teddy, now slightly fearing for the life of the boy as the red-headed girl now had her wand held up threateningly. "I'm Teddy Lupin and this is Christian Macmillan, who are you two?"

Now fully aware that their episode was being watched the two calmed down rather quickly although it was obvious the girl was still fuming and the boy was still trying with every ounce of will power not to grin at the thought of a cat clearing out an entire compartment with its gastric gases.

"Well I'm Taylor Smith" answered the girl, "and this _idiot _is Chase Wood."

"I am NOT an _idiot_!" replied Chase loudly.

"Oh yes you…"

"Ok, ok whatever" stated Christian, fearing another fight. He had been quiet up to this point not wanting to draw the death stares of the girl apparently known as Taylor.

After another five minutes of calming the two students down, it seemed the four were ready have a conversation _other _than idiots and cats.

"So Taylor, if you have a friend on the train why are you sitting with us?" asked Teddy while indicating the other three people in the compartment.

"Oh well I'm a first year and I've known Deanna for years, but she is a third year and in Ravenclaw so I didn't feel like being the odd one out, you know not knowing what house I'll be in and stuff" answered Taylor, still shooting daggers at Chase.

"How about you Chase, you a first year?" asked Christian

"Yup," answered Chase while puffing his chest out, "and I'm going to be a Gryffindor like my Dad, he was a Quidditch player you know, played for Puddlemere United."

"Well I'm going to be a Hufflepuff" answered Christian, "just like Uncle Ernie."

"Oh your Uncle was in Hufflepuff? So was my older cousin, Zacharias Smith. Not one of my _favorite _cousins though, kinda annoying really," added in Taylor. She almost seemed to have forgotten all about wanting to hate Chase.

"Yeah," began Teddy wanting to keep the conversation rolling before Taylor remembered, "anything new at Hogwarts recently?"

"Well I know there are a couple of new teachers. That Professor Fwicklit or something _finally _retired a couple of years ago. My uncle said he was ancient when _he _went to school. They've had this Professor Chang I think for a few years now. Supposedly she's pretty good" finished Christian. He looked happy to finally add something meaningful to the conversation.

"No way! As in Cho Chang?" exclaimed Teddy, wondering why his godfather hadn't told him this bit of information, "my godfather talked about her once, said she was a bit of a …._Chinese Fireball_ I think he put it."

"Yeah there are a couple others" added Christian "Pomona Sprout retired to travel the world for exotic plants and they replaced her with Neville Longbottom."

Chase and Taylor were surprised, they had heard of Longbottom's role in the second wizarding war, but Teddy already knew this, Neville was over at the burrow at _least _twice a month with his wife Hannah.

"Yeah I know!" continued Christian "they also got a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Supposedly he made quite an impression to Headmistress McGonagall because he is already Head of one of the houses. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, Professor Chang is Head of Ravenclaw House and Neville is Head of Gryffindor House.

"Hey...its Teddy right? I forgot to ask, why is your hair blue? You do that on purpose or lose a bet or something?" asked Chase.

"Oh this? I'm a Metamorphmagus" answered Teddy simply.

The other three passengers looked silently at each other before Chase finally spoke up.

"I think they have a powder for the rash or something."

"What?! No. It means I can change my appearance at will. It took _forever _to get it down this much, but I've got it mostly worked out."

"Oh really, huh?" asked Taylor, clearly not convinced, "turn into Chase here then, if you _can_?"

Teddy, expecting this reaction, screwed up his face and a second later there was a perfect match of Chase Wood sitting in Teddy's clothes.

"Wow! That's incredible!" exclaimed Christian "Can you do anyone? Even famous people?"

"Yeah do…uh…whats a good one?....oh I know! Harry Potter!" yelled out Taylor.

"What? That's easy. I see him every day. He IS my godfather after all" replied Teddy.

Again, the other three passengers looked silently at each other in disbelief before bursting out laughing.

"Yeah right! And Voldemort was MY Great Auntie" laughed Chase.

"No really. I have pictures to prove it too" replied a slightly annoyed Teddy. After showing Christian, Taylor, and Chase some photos of Teddy standing in front of _the _Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, along with some of Ron and Hermione thrown in, everybody in the compartment was forced to believe him.

"That's crazy! First you're a meta…..figatits and now your _Harry Potter_'s godson!" yelled Chase.

"Metamorphmagus" corrected Teddy.

"Ok, I have a HARD one!" stated Christian, trying to bail out his friend from Chase's shouting, "turn into Aidan Lynch! You know, the Irish Seeker in the Quidditch World Cup a few years ago? BUT do it _after _he lost his fight against gravity twice."

"I thought you said it was a _hard _one?" laughed Teddy. He then screwed up his face and turned his face from that of Chase Wood and into that of Aidan Lynch with a _horribly _broken nose and a dazed look on his face. He even added in missing teeth for extra effect. After looking around at the amazed faces of his fellow students, he laughed and morphed back into his own face with blue eyes, a strong chin, and electric blue hair.

This latest transformation led the topic of conversation, as always happens when a group of wizards are together for more than five minutes, back to Quidditch.

"So _Chase_" enunciated Taylor with more than slight disdain," you're probably going out for a team in a few years, how about you Teddy? Or you Christian?"

"Nah" replied Christian "my Uncle Ernie always said Quidditch was a spectator sport. I like to play, but I'm not going out for the team."

"I think I might" answered Teddy, remembering the conversation at the dinner table only a night before, "I just don't know what position to go out for."

"Well" started Chase, who desperately wanted to add into this discussion on his most favorite of sports, "you just have to decide what position you think is most important. Slytherins believe the beaters really control the game. They can use their cunning to take out the Seeker or the even the Keeper, _if you don't get caught_. Ravenclaws usually believe chasers are the most important. If they can build up a big enough lead, it won't matter what Seeker catches the Snitch. I think the Irish demonstrated this tactic in a World Cup a little while ago. They use their intelligence to try and perfect difficult and confusing moves. The Porskoff Ploy, when a chaser flies straight up and throws the quaffle back down to his teammate, is extremely hard and so is the Reverse Pass. Hufflepuffs take pride in their Keepers. Keepers don't get a lot of fame usually, but they use hard work and determination to stop the Chasers from scoring. Gryffindors of course _love _their Seekers. The get all the fame and glory and usually put on the most daring moves like the Wronski Feint. Gryffindors love the idea of one brave and daring movie earning 150 points and single handily winning the game."

Teddy, Christian, and Taylor were all but stunned after this rampage of knowledge. Chase was still looking around smugly until Taylor pointed out it was getting dark and they should get changed. The four talked the rest of the train ride until it arrived at Hogsmeade Station. Teddy talked to Hagrid as he led the timid first years across the lake with the four sharing a boat. Taylor almost pushed Chase out of theirs when he tried to pour water down her neck.

The first years eventually arrived at the castle dock and were met with a strong looking, but seemingly well natured, wizard.

"Hello, my name is Professor Wispen. I will be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher" spoke the tall wizard.

"I know him, that's _Cameron _Wispen! He was the greatest Keeper the Wimbourne Wasps every had! Some say he was the best Keeper _ever_!" whispered Chase excitedly.

"I will take you up to the Great Hall to get you sorted if there are no questions."

"Sir don't you think you're being a little premature? It's the first night here AND we have to get sorted?" asked a girl Teddy didn't know.

"HA! Premature! You remind me of my wife!" replied Professor Wispen loudly.

When the young students looked up at him confused he remembered who he was speaking to.

"Ah…yes sorry about that. Took a bludger to the head my fifth year on the team, knocked all the common sense right out of me. Yes we sort on the first night so you know where to stay. Now, if there are any mor…"

"I KNEW IT!" shouted Chase happily "you ARE Cameron Wispen! But why are you a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor though? Not many dark wizards or dark creatures seek out professional Quidditch players do they?

"Ah…of course you would think that! Have you ever met a _groupie_? Now THERE is a dark and dangerous creature" replied Wispen before mentally kicking himself for mentioning groupies to a group of first years.

_This teaching thing is harder than I thought_ whispered Wispen to himself.

After collecting himself and denying to answer what a groupie was he led the new students up the steps into the Great Hall.

_It's just an old hat on a stool _thought Teddy. This was before the Hat began to sing about the four founders of Hogwarts and how he, a HAT, would sort the first years. Out of the four, Teddy, was called first. Walking nervously up to the stool he placed the hat over his bright blue hair, that was now absolutely flashing different shades, and over his eyes too.

_Ah, a good mind, but you don't love to study so not Ravenclaw. You're witty enough to know how to get away from trouble, but not at the expense of others so not Slytherin. I see a good deal of bravery, no doubt from your father Remus eh? BUT your heart is loyal and your head is determined. I say your mother, Nymphadora, has a great deal of influence in you so better be _HUFFLEPUFF!

Teddy was definitely relieved. He wasn't in the house of his Father or his Godfather, but he was a metamorphmagus like his Mom so it made sense he would be put there. Following the clapping to the Hufflepuff table, he sat down and waited for his friends to be sorted.

Christian Macmillan was immediately sorted into Hufflepuff, much to his happiness. Taylor Smith was also quickly sorted into Hufflepuff. Chase Wood, however, took much longer. He sat with the hat on his head looking like he was mentally arguing with it. In a little while though his face relaxed, apparently convinced, and the hat shouted….HUFFLEPUFF! Chase slowly got up and walked over to the Hufflepuff table. Teddy knew he would need to talk to him later about what happened with the Sorting Hat.

After the feast and a few words from Headmistress McGonagall, the Hufflepuff prefect led the first years down into the dungeons, past the painting of a bowl of fruit, and into the Hufflepuff Common Room. Chase, Teddy, and Christian quickly chose a room in the Boys' Dormitories and waved to Taylor as she went into the Girls' Dormitories. It had been a _long_ day, but Teddy had survived his first day at his new home.

Teddy didn't realize, however, that for at least the first day of school, he really _did _forget about Vicky.

**WOW. This chapter was much longer than I had thought, but I really wanted to introduce Christian, Taylor, and Chase. Next chapter is Victoire's first year and Teddy's third. Constructive criticism is MUCH appreciated. PLEASE - - read and REVIEW! **


	4. Distance

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling**

**Almost 200 visitors! But only 6 reviews?! Love it or Hate it – READ AND REVIEW**

"This is it" Victoire sighed "only nine hours and twenty three minutes to go"

It was the night before September 1st, or really the morning of September 1st, and little Victoire Weasley was _finally _eleven years old. For the past two years all Victoire could think about was boarding the Hogwarts Express. It wasn't like the last two years had been torture, she loved her family and she got to know her cousins a lot better too. The only flaw that her cousins had really was that they were, well, _not _Teddy. Sure, Teddy came back for the breaks and he sent her a ton of letters during the year, but after spending almost every minute together for eleven years, it wasn't the same. The three months she got with Teddy were great, but not long enough. The only reason that Teddy wasn't at her house right now was that his Gran complained that she never got to see him. She might have a point really. Teddy spent almost all of his time here at the shell cottage, at Uncle Harry's, or at the burrow. Quite a full schedule for a thirteen year old. His Gran demanded that she get at least one full day with her grandchild before he went back to school.

Victoire lay staring up at the ceiling counting down the minutes. Her nervousness about leaving home, her excitement about going to Hogwarts, and her happiness that she gets to see Teddy all added up to Victoire counting down the time until eleven a.m. A light breeze rolled in through open window of her shell cottage window causing Victoire to shiver slightly. After getting up to close the window, she decided there wasn't any chance of falling asleep anytime soon. She reached under her pillow and pulled out one of her most prized possessions: a scrapbook.

She always slept with this scrapbook under her pillow. Not that she was afraid of losing it, or even that it was particularly comfortable, but this scrapbook meant the world to Victoire. It contained all the letters Teddy had sent from Hogwarts. From the novel length to the three-liners, every letter was saved. She always opened up the scrapbook whenever she started to feel lonely or started to miss Teddy. Sometimes she would just glance at a few letters from Teddy to remind herself that he was only an owl away, but other times she would spend hours reading letters she already knew by heart. Pulling out a particularly long letter, she remembered Teddy had sent this just after his first week of school. After turning on the lamp on her bedside table and snuggling farther into her bed, she began to read.

_Dear Vicky,_

_Hogwarts is amazing! I really wish you were here to see all of this. Sorry about sending those short letters, I've been running around all week. Now that I have time I don't even know where to begin! Hufflepuff is incredible of course. I know that my godfather thinks Gryffindor is the best house, but I really can't see how it could be better than this. We're right near the kitchens, so every morning is filled with the smell of bacon and eggs and we don't need to walk up hundreds of steps to get our common room either. All my housemates are really great too. Christian Macmillan, he's a little shorter than me with brown hair and brown eyes, is kind of shy but he's hilarious. In Professor Binns' class, he teaches History of Magic, he once spent fifteen minutes pretending to shove a bezoar down his throat because the lecture was "poisonous to his health". We're in all of the same classes which is great because I still get lost about five times a day. Not that Christian has a better sense of direction, but I don't feel so bad if I'm late WITH somebody. Chase Wood, he's got blond hair and green eyes, and Taylor Smith are two other friends of mine. Chase can be a bit pompous some times, like in flying class with Madam Hooch. She wanted us to hover above the ground and then touch back down, but Chase just had to do some barrel rolls to show off his skills. Unfortunately, he tried his last barrel roll a little too close to the ground. Nothing like a small concussion to take someone down a peg right? I'm actually writing this letter right now in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey only allowed one of us, Christian and Taylor were here earlier, to stay by his bedside. Said if there were too many of us we wouldn't let him get his rest. I think it's ridiculous, Taylor, Christian, and I were only playing exploding snap and after the amount of sleep potion she poured down his throat, I don't think a raging hippogriff would wake him up. Oh right, I almost forgot to tell you about Taylor. She has red hair, like Ginny's, but she has these awesome hazel eyes. I'm going to start wearing them sometimes instead of just wearing my blue ones. She is pretty easy going, except when she starts to go off on Chase that is. They argue so much I'm beginning to wonder that if they didn't bicker they wouldn't even be friends. Weird thought right? _

_I guess I should tell you about my classes now. Chase is still passed out cold and I don't need to be back in the common room for another half hour. My favorite class is definitely Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Wispen. He used to play keeper for the Wasps! He is the Head of my House and he led us first years up to the Sorting Hat. I think the Deputy Headmaster usually does it, but supposedly he is away on "research" for Hogwarts. No idea what that's about. Anyway, Professor Wispen is the only person I know more Quidditch obsessed than Chase, not that I would ever tell Chase that. In our first class he showed us how to protect ourselves from Dark Magic by casting these protection spells on coins and buttons and stuff. It was a great class and my button almost defended a direct tickling spell! It was a lot better than Christian's coin…. which exploded. His eyebrows are still a little singed now that I think about it. The only thing I didn't understand in the class was when Taylor asked him if he used protection and he laughed saying only when he doesn't want another kid. Professor Wispen looked like he was mentally kicking himself after that and he kept muttering "they are only eleven!" I guess he realized his answer didn't make any sense. What does using protection from the Dark Arts have to do with having kids? Anyway, my least favorite class is potions. Professor Vomis is a git! He made us brew the Elixir of Facial Distortion on our first day. When I said I can change my face without any potions he took away fifteen points from Hufflepuff and gave me a zero for the day. You would think I had stood up and slapped him for the expression of his face. I'll have to get even with him somehow, but I'm guessing I'll need your help. You were always the brains behind our operations. Any suggestions? _

_Oh Chase is finally coming to. If I'm going to make fun of him for losing his head butting contest with a rock, then I'm going to need my full attention, so I'll stop this letter here. Sorry if I couldn't give you the full picture here at Hogwarts but I'll send a lot more letters soon. _

_Your Best Friend,_

_Teddy_

_P.S. Make sure you take away someone's wand before you relentlessly torment them about barrel rolls or they might set your robes on fire. Just a fair warning from someone with a recent firsthand experience._

This letter always made Victoire smile. She loved that Teddy found a new home at Hogwarts. She didn't understand Professor Wispen's comments either but she still laughed at Christian's joke and his failed attempt at protecting a button. She flipped through the book a little while farther before she saw a letter from Teddy's second year at school. Still not feeling tired, she pulled it out and lay down to read again.

_Dear Vicky, _

_So how is life at Shell Cottage? You said in your last letter that it was boring, but with our family I can't see how that is possible. There are many ways to describe the Weasley family, especially Uncle George, but boring is not one of them. Not much is going on over here but we are only a month into the school year. Professor Wispen is still my favorite and Professor Vomis still loathes me. I don't really understand what I did? Maybe he just isn't a fan of blue haircuts? Anyway, Chase and I decided to not try out for the Hufflepuff team this year. Most of the team is seventh years so it would have been tough. We'll probably go out for the team next year though. Classes are about the same, just harder material. There really isn't much to talk about. Christian and I are still best friends, Chase and Taylor actively find topics to argue about, and Hufflepuff is last in the point standings already. That's going to change though, I think this might be the year Hufflepuff pulls through and decorates the Great Hall with yellow and black at the end of the year. A fourth-year Ravenclaw friend of Taylor's, Deanna I think?,_kindly _reminded me that Hufflepuff hadn't won the House Cup in half a century. I kindly replied that Ravenclaws are nerds. I admit, it wasn't my proudest moment, or even my best comeback. I'm writing at a table in the Hufflepuff Common Room right now. It's pretty late but I don't have transfiguration until ten tomorrow so I'm not worried. Taylor and Chase already went to bed but Christian is here with me. He's trying to practice transfiguring a goose into a pillow. I know what you're thinking, why is there a goose in the Hufflepuff common room? Well let's just say that when you can change into the caretaker it makes smuggling much easier. Putting the goose under my coat was easy, making my coat stop squawking required more work. Eventually I got the goose all the way back to the common room and earned myself one GIANT favor from Christian. Well anyway, Christian is trying to transfigure this goose for the practical test tomorrow. He can make the goose turn into a pillow, but it still retains some its…um….more goose qualities. Not many things are funnier than a second year chasing after a sprinting, squawking, fluffy pillow, however. Sorry this letter isn't that long but I'll write a longer one during the weekend._

_Still your best friend,_

_Teddy_

_P.S. If you ever try to transfigure an animal, make sure that you can catch it BEFORE it destroys whatever room it's in._

Victoire finished the letter and remembered with a smile that Hufflepuff _hadn't _made a miraculous comeback in the standings, but finished dead last yet again. Not that this stopped Teddy from proclaiming the entire summer that _this _was the year! Glancing at her clock, and seeing she had spent almost two hours reading and rereading these letters, made her think she should really try and get some sleep. After putting the letters back and placing the scrapbook securely under her pillow, she turned off her lamp and attempted to drift off to sleep. She eventually slept with dreams full of squawking pillows and a certain blue-haired boy.

Victoire was woken up a few hours later unceremoniously by her younger brother Louis jumping up and down on her bed. Cursing her decision to stay up late, she got up and started to prepare for the trip to Platform 9 and ¾. The trip went smoothly and Victoire, remembering how Teddy only had a small group send him off, decided to mirror his decision. After using a portkey with her Mom, Dad, brother and sister, she met up with Teddy, Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, and his Gran.

"Hey Vicky. Get any sleep last night? I know I didn't the night before the Hogwarts Express left," said Teddy. They had just walked through the barrier and were standing on the platform before the train.

"Yeah I slept pretty well," lied Victoire. She already felt nervous and didn't want her Mom and Dad overhearing and fussing over her before she left.

"Now Victoire," began Bill while kneeling down to look his oldest daughter in the eyes, "your Mother and I love you very much. If you need us, we're only an owl away ok? I'm proud of you for being so brave right now. When I was here with your Grandma and Grandpa I was practically shaking. I was the first of a long line of second generation Weasleys. Now you're the first of the third generation. Remember that while you're at school. Now give me and your Mom a hug before you leave."

After Victoire hugged her Father and spoke with her Mother for a little while, it wasn't a very long conversation as Fleur seemed to be having trouble keeping tears back, she spoke with her Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, and Teddy's Gran. She also hugged her brother Louis and her sister Dominique and promised to owl them often. After all the goodbyes had been said, she walked with Teddy up to the edge of the platform, right in front of the steps leading her to the Hogwarts Express.

"So Vicky," said Teddy while standing next to Victoire, "you ready to go to Hogwarts?"

Victoire was definitely excited. This is what she had wanted for two years. She wasn't standing by her parents waving at Teddy while the train pulled out of sight, she was going to board the Express _with _Teddy. She was going to Hogwarts. She knew she shouldn't be, but all of this made her incredibly nervous as well .Following Teddy up the stairs, they settled in an empty compartment about halfway down the train.

"It's ok to be nervous you know. At least your hair stayed the same color when you got on the train," laughed Teddy. Could he really read me that well thought Victoire.

"What makes you think I'm nervous?" asked Victoire much more confidently than she felt.

"Oh come on Vicky. I've known you for eleven years now, you don't think I can tell when you're nervous by now?" asked Teddy. "We got away with a lot but not everything. Remember when your Mom caught us tying your Aunt Gabrielle's dresses together a few weeks ago?" laughed Teddy. "We had to wait for your Dad to get home from work and I thought we were going to be grounded for life after that."

Victoire smiled, that was perhaps the worst hour of her life. She remembered when her Dad came home and they had to tell him that they had tied all her Aunt Gabrielle's dresses together to make a hammock. Victoire had really wanted a hammock since she first laid eyes on one when she was eight and she still thought Aunt Gabrielle had way too many dresses. Surprisingly, her Dad wasn't even that upset. He laughed when they told him what they trying to do and even bought a hammock the next day. Aunt Gabrielle was less happy, however, but she'll get over it eventually. Victoire remembered how awful that hour of nervousness was and that it led to nothing. This train ride is probably the same thing thought Victoire.

"Yeah, that hour was horrible," laughed Vicky, "and thanks, I know you're trying to get me to relax and you're doing a good job so don't stop!"

Teddy laughed before resuming the conversation. A few minutes later Teddy said he was going to find some of his friends, Victoire remembered them through the letter, and that he would be back in a little while. Victoire was only able to stare out the window for perhaps a minute before a girl with long, curly black hair and brown eyes burst through her compartment door.

"Hey can I sit here?" asked the slightly out of breath girl, "I was sitting with some people but I think they're going to all be Slytherins, or at least they acted like it."

"Yeah sure, I'm Victoire Weasley"

"I'm Emily, Emily Bishop" replied the girl.

Victoire and Emily talked the rest of the train ride, only interrupted when Teddy poked his head in, saw Victoire had found someone her own age, and stated he was going to sit with his friends for the remainder of the trip. Victoire didn't mind really, Teddy had helped her relax and she wanted to make at least one first-year friend.

The train ride went smoothly and just after nightfall they arrived at Hogsmeade Station. She watched Teddy wave at Hagrid, before walking away towards some carriages. She was about to follow before Emily spoke up.

"Hey Vic, where you going? First years travel by boat across the lake, remember?" asked Emily.

Victoire sighed, she knew she wasn't going to see Teddy all the time, but they had just arrived and they were _already _separated. Following Emily, she entered a boat with a pair of girls that Victoire hoped were twins. Either that or her vision was started to go double. The trip was uneventful, unless you count Hagrid stroking a large tentacle when it came out of the water, which may have been a bit of a shock. The soon-to-be first years climbed out of the boats and were greeted by a man that Victoire remembered was Professor Wispen from Teddy's letters. She assumed the deputy headmaster must still be doing his "research" if Professor Wispen was greeting the first years again. He seemed to have greater control over himself then Teddy described on his first night as he didn't make any references Victoire didn't understand. He did look like he was biting his tongue to stop from talking when one girl asked him if they slept with their Housemates on the first night.

_Do NOT say only if you buy them dinner first, they are ELEVEN! _thought Cameron vigorously to himself.

Eventually, they made their way up the staircase and into the Great Hall. She waved at Teddy who was already sitting at his table. He smiled and gave her the thumbs up. Soon, students were being called up to have the Sorting Hat placed on their head. Victoire knew this was coming, she had a man on the inside. She saw that Emily, one of the first students called on, was sorted almost immediately into Gryffindor. She had expected this because on the train Emily said she definitely wanted to be placed in the lion's den. What she didn't expect was that she would be the very _last _named called and the entire Hall would be giving her their full attention. She walked up and had the old hat placed over her eyes.

_Ah, now you are a tough one to place. You LOVE to pull jokes, and they are cunning, but you won't sacrifice your friends to help yourself, so NOT Slytherin. A good head on your shoulder, and a thirst for knowledge, but it is not overpowering so NOT Ravenclaw. You are a hard worker and loyal no doubt, but you are also brave. Where to put you? Ah, you have dear friend in Hufflepuff I see, but, no, every Weasley has been placed here and you shall be no different. Your bravery wins out so better be GRYFFINDOR!_

Victoire then had the hat pulled away from her eyes and saw the entire hall clapping as they did with the earlier students. She saw Teddy wearing a sad smile and clapping half-heartedly. She wished she could go and join him but she wasn't a Hufflepuff, and deep down, she knew it all along.

The rest of the night seemed like a blur with the magnificent feast and no shortage of congratulations from the older years. She waved to Teddy has he walked down into the dungeons following dinner and walked up to the Gryffindor tower with her housemates. Pretty soon, she was lying in bed, next to Emily's, and a few other girls' she would get to know tomorrow. She had put the scrapbook safely under her pillow and fell almost right asleep.

She had waited two years to go to Hogwarts to be with Teddy and in one night, they were separated by more than distance.

**Next chapter will still be during the same year but from Teddy's perspective. I tried to make this one a set up chapter; next one will have more dialogue and important events. PLEASE -- I'm not too proud to beg – REVIEW! It's like a slap to the face when 194 people visit but don't review! Well not quite, but it WOULD make me happy if you tell me what you think. **


	5. Yellow and Black

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**Thanks for the reviews but let's keep it coming! My goal is to double the amount of reviews for this chapter. READ AND REVIEW.**

School seemed to be speeding by for Teddy Lupin. As he lay in his dormitory he thought about how it seemed like only yesterday he had watched the new first years be sorted into their houses. He remembered watching Vicky put on the sorting hat especially well. He was hoping that she would join him as a badger but when the hat had shouted out Gryffindor, he wasn't really surprised. She was a Weasley after all and Teddy spent enough time around Vicky, and her family, to know she took after her father and her uncles. Teddy realized how little time he actually _did _spend with Vicky now. She was a first year Gryffindor and he was a third year Hufflepuff. He didn't care about house loyalties or social standing or anything like that, but that meant that they rarely had overlapping schedules. The only time they saw each other was entering or leaving the Great Hall or passing in the hallways. In just under a month he had spoken about three sentences to his childhood best friend.

"It's not my fault! My classes are getting tougher and tougher and there just isn't enough time here at school" whispered Teddy to himself.

_Well you could try harder! Think how much it would have helped to have someone when you first got here _thought Teddy who was now beginning to argue with himself.

"Ok, ok" whispered Teddy, realizing he had just lost an argument to himself. "I'll try harder to find time with Vicky."

"Keep it down Teddy," mumbled Christian sleepily through his pillow, "if you're going crazy do it outside."

The next day Teddy went down to the Great Hall with Taylor, Chase, and Christian and was determined to talk with Vicky for more than a few passing seconds. When he scanned the sea of red and gold, however, he saw that Vicky wasn't there. She usually sat with that girl with long black hair. I think it was Emily or something thought Teddy. He wasn't too worried; Vicky could take care of herself pretty well, actually probably better than most of the second and third years too. After resigning to defeat he plopped down in his seat between Chase and Christian. Taylor was sitting across from him.

"So you ready for tryouts there Teddy?" asked Chase. He was loading his plate full of bacon and sausages. Taylor looked at his plate in disgust.

"Is that ALL you're going to eat? Have you ever seen a food pyramid before? It's not twenty servings of meat for every meal by the way," stated Taylor. She had some fruit and bread on her plate.

"What's a food pyramid? It can't be a pyramid made of food because then I _definitely _would have heard of it," answered Chase.

"It's a muggle thing to keep track of what you eat, NOT a pyramid made of edible treats"

"If it's a muggle thing then why do YOU know about it, huh? Isn't your cousin Zach a wizard?"

"Yes my cousin is a wizard but I'M muggle-born you idiot! I've told you like a thousand times by now! My uncle was a wizard but my Dad and Mom were muggles. I didn't even know I was a witch until I vanished my parent's TV a few days after my tenth birthday."

"Well I didn't forget AND I'm not an idiot. I was just testing you. But Teddy you never answered, you ready for Quidditch tryouts? I heard that there are a bunch of open seats this year. The captain is a beater and there is one chaser and the seeker returning from last year if I'm not mistaken. That makes four out of seven spots open," said Chase, ending his mini-argument with Taylor.

"What? Oh right!" answered Teddy who had been enjoying the friendly bickering between his friends. Nothing was a better wake-me-up than Chase and Taylor going at it. "I can't believe that's today! At least it'll be an easy day today, just Potions with Professor Vomis and DADA with Professor Wispen.

Teddy hadn't really thought about the Quidditch tryouts since he signed up nearly two weeks ago. He was a fair flier so he wasn't too worried, he just hadn't picked a position yet. He could play any of the open positions but you couldn't announce that you were trying out for ALL the positions. He vowed to decide by the end of classes today what position to try out for.

"I guess. I hadn't really thought about it. What about you?" asked Teddy.

"Of course I'm ready! The son of Oliver Wood doesn't _worry _about Quidditch tryouts. Chase announced he was the son of _the _Oliver Wood at least once a day as if people might forget if he didn't remind them.

"Yes Chase, we KNOW who your Dad is!" exclaimed Taylor.

"Well your always buried in those novels of yours that I wasn't sure if you heard me the first few times. I'm just being thorough" replied Chase.

Teddy quickly changed the topic to the classes they had today. One argument was fine, but they did get old pretty fast.

After a few more minutes of talk about classes and other random topics, the bell rang. As Teddy got up he saw the back of the head of a blond first year in red and gold robes leave the Great Hall. Happy that Vicky had made breakfast, but still feeling slightly guilty that he hadn't noticed, he made his way down to the dungeons with Taylor and Christian for potions with Professor Vomis. Chase had Divination with Professor Trelawney. After laughing at how Chase said he foresaw throwing himself out the window during divination, he rounded the corner and walked down into the dimly lit hallway that housed the potions room.

Potions was, as usual, terrible. Teddy was a decent potion maker, better than Christian anyway, who made a potion that resembled boiling mud, but Professor Vomis loathed him for reasons he couldn't understand. He had never said more than "Yes, sir" or "No, sir" to the man, but he still found every available opportunity to take house points and shoot dirty looks at him. At least he hasn't given me detention yet this year. After packing up his supplies and handing in his potion, a light blue Draught of Perpetual Motion, he walked out the door with Taylor and Christian.

"You think I stabbed him in a former life?" asked Teddy.

"Must be" agreed Christian.

"Nah, cause then we would have like the Bloody Baron II teaching our class" replied Taylor.

After arguing the pros and cons of having the Bloody Baron teach potions instead of Professor Vomis, the trio arrived at the Grand Staircase. After climbing up a few flights, Christian turned to walk down one of the hallways.

"Well Mr. Teddy and Ms. Taylor, this is where I bid you ado" announced Christian while bowing. Christian always had to sneak in one more joke before leaving. This hallway housed some classes that Teddy didn't take. Christian took Arithmancy and Ancient Ruins, however, in the afternoons, his two best subjects.

Teddy and Taylor continued to climb until they reached the door of his favorite classroom, Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Wispen. Every class was filled with something that fascinated Teddy, like the previous lesson when they learned how to distinguish between an ordinary black cloak and a Lethifold. After taking a seat right near the front with Taylor, he waited for the rest of the class to fill, Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors took DADA together, and for Professor Wispen to appear. After about a minute, both occurred.

"So class" began Professor Wispen "I have a treat for you today. It has become somewhat of a Hogwarts tradition to learn how to defend against a Boggart in your third year and today is that day! I want you all to push your desks against the wall and stand in a semi-circle around this cabinet."

After his instructions had been followed, Professor Wispen began to speak again, "Now the spell to ward off a Boggart is _Riddikulus_. I want you all to practice, say it with me…"

"Riddikulus" shouted the class.

"Good," continued Professor Wispen, "now a Boggart will appear as what you fear the most so when it does you need to picture something that will make it seem comical. Now Ms. Smith, what frightens you the most?"

Taylor mumbled something that even Teddy didn't catch and he was standing right next to her.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" asked the DADA Professor.

"Mr. Hyde" whispered Taylor.

"Ah, a creature from a muggle horror novel, correct? Well I want you to picture this Mr. Hyde in your head. Then I want you to picture him being deflated like a balloon leaking air. Can you do that? Good! Now I'm going to open this cabinet and I want you to do the exact same thing ok? Ready…NOW!"

Professor Wispen opened the cabinet door and out stepped a monstrous creature. Towering nearly eight feet tall with a ripped black cloak and an enormous top hat, it was truly a horrifying sight. The monster reached out a massively muscled and veiny arm towards Taylor.

"Rid…Riddik….RIDDIKULUS!" Taylor finally shouted after a moment's hesitation.

She, and the rest of the class, watched as Mr. Hyde looked like he was struck with a pin in his side and slowly started to deflate. Eventually, the monster looked rail thin and was tripping over his robes due to the top falling over his eyes and obscuring his vision. The entire class let out a ring of laughter.

More and more students volunteered to fight the Boggart after Taylor had done so well. Eventually there were only two students left to fight the Boggart. A brown haired Gryffindor boy, and Teddy. When the Boggart transformed into a Manticore, the Gryffindor, betraying his house reputation, looked petrified and badly misfired. His spell missed wide of the man-headed, lion-bodied, scorpion-tailed beast, hitting the cabinet full of cloaks to the right. These immediately began attacking Professor Wispen. He didn't look like he was in trouble, he was just being continually hit it the face with various pieces of clothing. The Boggart then looked at Teddy and did something no one expected.

The Manticore vanished with a pop and in its place stood the figure of a man Teddy thought he would never see…

Remus Lupin.

Teddy watched, unable to move or speak as the Boggart began to talk.

"YOU ARE SCARED OF YOUR OWN FATHER?! WHAT A WORTHLESS CHILD YOU ARE! I, REMUS LUPIN, WAS A PROUD AND BRAVE GRYFFINDOR. YOU'RE GODFATHER IS A BRAVE GRYFFINDOR BUT YOU ARE JUST A SCARED LITTLE HUFFLEPUFF! YOU AREN"T FIT TO OWN THE LUPIN NAME!"

Teddy stared at the Boggart. He hadn't taken a breathe since it began talking and the only movement his body made was that his hair had turned completely white and was slowly growing down his back.

"I AM ASHAMED TO HAVE A SON LIKE YOU! YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL YOUR MOTHER IS DEAD SO SHE DIDN"T HAVE TO SEE WHAT YOU BECAME! I AM GLAD THAT WE ABANDONED YOU! I HAVE NO SON!"

The rest of class seemed unable to move as well as they watched the scene take place. Taylor looked close to tears and was shaking almost nearly as bad as Teddy was. Professor Wispen, who had been trying to free himself from the tangle of clothes for the past few minutes finally just blasted the clothes away from himself and ran over to Teddy. He banished the Boggart and then saw just how shaken Teddy was.

"Class dismissed!" shouted Professor to the class "Teddy will you still behind a minute please."

"I'll wait for you outside" mouthed Taylor. She desperately wanted to comfort her friend. If she was this shaken she couldn't imagine what Teddy was going through.

When the last of the class had filtered out of the room, Professor Wispen guided Teddy into his study.

"I'm sorry" began Professor Wispen softly, "I have failed you as a Professor and as a person. Nobody should have had to go through that."

"No...I'm sorry… Professor Wispen," answered Teddy, still visibly shaken, "I didn't know that was my biggest fear. I should have prepared myself better I should have…"

"No" interrupted Professor Wispen, "no one could prepare for that."

After a few more minutes of sitting in silence, Teddy's hair started to return to its normal blue and shorten until it hung loosely in front if his eyes like normal.

"You know, I never know how you see anything with your hair hanging in front of your eyes like that" joked Professor Wispen, trying to lighten the mood.

Teddy forced a small smile. He wasn't over the ordeal and he wasn't sure he would ever recover. Nothing was worse than what he had just seen. Nothing.

"I like it shaggy," answered Teddy. He didn't add anything after that.

"You know, I have a favor I want to ask of you, is that ok?" asked Professor Wispen, suddenly struck with an idea.

"Yeah…I guess"

"Some first year students are having trouble in my class, I wanted to know if you could tutor them. You are the best in your year. It would just be a simple review for you and only about once a week. What do you say?"

"...ok" answered Teddy unsurely.

Professor Wispen was glad. He didn't want Teddy to brood on this. If he could keep him occupied, if only for an extra hour during the week, then he knew it would help. He needed to know if there was anything else that could occupy his time.

"So Teddy, are there any other after-class activities you do? Clubs or Teams?"

"Well, my friend Christian is in the Wizard's Chess Club, but I'm going to try out for the Hufflepuff Quidditch House Team."

"Ah right," Professor Wispen remembered seeing his name on the tryout list, he was Head of Hufflepuff after all, "well the best of luck to you, what position are you trying out for?"

"Well I don't really know. There's a beater spot, two chaser spots, and the keeper spot open this year."

"Oh ok. You know, just talking about the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team brings me back. I played keeper for the badgers during my years here. Started my third year too. I looked so good in yellow and black that I chose to play for the Wasps when I left Hogwarts just to keep the colors," laughed Professor Wispen.

Teddy gave a small laugh too. Something he didn't think he would ever be able to manage again.

"I don't know if anyone has told you but each House has an unofficial most-important-position. For Slytherin its…"

"Yeah I've heard," Teddy interjected. He remembered the rant from Chase on his first ride on the Hogwarts Express. "I didn't mean to cut you off but I have heard the theory before. My friend is a big Quidditch player. He's going to play keeper so I guess I should just decide between chaser and beater right?"

"No, not necessarily. If you really want to play keeper then go for it. When I tried out for Keeper I had to compete against some of my friends too. When I got the spot, some of my friends tried out for other positions and some tried other activities, like Wizard's Chess or Gobstones. One of my friends actually took up Quodpot. It's an American game."

"Oh ok" replied Teddy, now rethinking his options.

"Your friend is probably still waiting for you in the hallway. Why don't you go and walk back to your common room with her."

"Oh thanks, yeah I don't want her to worry."

"That's fine, I'll speak with you about setting up the tutoring session next class" replied Professor Wispen.

Teddy got up to leave and just before reaching the door Professor Wispen spoke up once more.

"You know Ted, if you need to talk to someone about anything, my door is always open."

Teddy looked back at Professor Wispen, sitting in his Hogwarts robes, his brown hair cut short and his blue eyes staring back at him.

"Thanks," said Teddy before walking out the door.

Teddy walked back with Taylor to the Hufflepuff Common Room. She had been sitting in the hallway when he left the DADA classroom. She was wise enough to know that Teddy was deep in thought and didn't break the silence between them. When they arrived at the steps to the dormitories, Teddy thanked her for waiting and said he was going to rest for a little while before tryouts.

Teddy lay in his bed and stared at his ceiling for the second time that day. He was thinking about the shape the Boggart had taken, about Quidditch, and about Vicky. He had worried about her earlier in the day and thought that she might need him. He realized now that he needed her. Vicky knew Teddy better than anyone, even Gran or Harry, she would know how to handle this.

Teddy lay in his bed for over an hour before rising to start getting ready for tryouts. He put on some old Quidditch robes and headed down to meet Chase. They were walking down to the pitch together. At the base of the steps he saw not only Chase, but Christian and Taylor as well.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Taylor. She clearly looked worried.

"Yeah" Teddy lied. After none of his friends moved he spoke up again.

"Look I'm fine guys, ok? I just need some time to think, but come on Chase, we need to get down to the pitch."

Teddy and Chase left the worried looking pair and exited the Common Room portal. They walked out of the dungeons and out the front doors. Chase and Teddy didn't talk the entire way down to the pitch.

Teddy was deep in thought. He kept going over in his mind what Professor Wispen had said to him. He thought of all the times he had played Quidditch. What am I best at? He could wield a club well, but did he want to be Beater? He could pass and shoot, but did that make you Chaser material? He tried to remember every time he had played Quidditch with his godfather Harry and his Aunt Ginny. They had constantly rotated positions. Teddy remembered how Harry was easily the best Seeker, Ginny was obviously a superb Chaser as she had gone professional, and that Teddy was a great…Keeper! He hadn't been able to block all of the shots from his Aunt Ginny, but just the fact that he had blocked a few shots from a former professional showed he must have _some _talent. He realized that he was a Keeper, not a Chaser, not a Beater, but a Keeper! Feeling like a weight had been pulled off his chest he looked down to the pitch with new found confidence.

They could see a group of students standing in the middle of the pitch. Three of them were wearing official Hufflepuff Quidditch robes while the majority was wearing old Quidditch robes. When Teddy and Chase arrived, the centermost male student in Hufflepuff robes spoke up. Teddy remembered he was a fifth year, but couldn't recall the name. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long to find out.

"My name is Aaron Armstrong. I am the Hufflepuff Captain and the lead Beater on the team. Before anyone asks, yes the name Armstrong and being a Beater is just a coincidence. We will split into three groups. The Keeper tryouts will move to the end of the pitch near the hoops. The Chasers will move to the opposite end and the Beaters will come with me toward the center. We will not be having any Seeker tryouts as our seeker from last year," Aaron said while pointing to a short blond haired boy standing to his right "is returning. Now, I'm going to ask all the prospective Chasers to raise their hands now so I can get a rough count."

At this statement about six of the ten students raised their hands. They walked over to the end of the pitch with the black-haired boy. He apparently was the returning Chaser.

"Now everyone who wishes to be a Keeper please raise their hands."

It was only Teddy and Chase that raised their hands this time. Teddy had dreaded this as he knew this was coming, but Chase looked downright shocked.

"What are you doing? You know I'm going out for Keeper," whispered Chase urgently.

"I know, but this is the position that called out to me and….I'm going for it," replied Teddy, echoing Professor Wispen's words.

Teddy and Chase walked over to the opposite end of the pitch with the blond-haired Seeker. Since there were no Seeker tryouts, he would run the Keeper tryouts.

"Ok, the rest of you come with me and we'll meet back here when tryouts are decided," stated Aaron before walking away with the hopeful Beaters.

"Now", began the blond-haired Hufflepuff Seeker, "Hufflepuff hasn't won the Quidditch House Cup in nearly four decades. That streak ends NOW! A big part of success is to have a reliable keeper that can keep the team in the game. The tryout for this position will consist of me shooting the Quaffle at the hoops five times and you trying to block it each time. It's fairly straight forward. Now let's begin. You with the blue hair what's your name?"

"My name is Teddy Lupin."

"Ok and you with the blond hair?"

"I'm Chase Wood."

"Right, my name is Patrick Kernel, now that the pleasantries are over, let's find us a Keeper. Teddy, you're up first.

Teddy climbed onto his broom and shot up to hover before the hoops. He watched as Patrick flew over and took the spare Quaffle from the Chaser tryouts. He then returned and hovered around midfield, but far enough from the Beaters to not interfere. Without warning he shot forward and threw the Quaffle at the hoop at the far right. Teddy, reacting quickly, sped over and caught the speeding red ball. Teddy threw the Quaffle back at Patrick who repeated his motions four more times. Teddy easily blocked all five shots. He had been unsure if Keeper was the position for him during most of the day, had been fairly sure when walking down to the pitch, and was now positive that HE WAS A KEEPER. He felt that blocking the hoops was the most natural action in the world.

Teddy, sinking back down to the ground, happier than he had felt all day, found himself looking at Chase. He was staring at him with an icy glare.

"You're up Chase" announced Patrick, still seated on his broom.

Chase rose up and hovered in the air before the hoops just as Teddy had done. Teddy watched as Patrick raced forward and shot the Quaffle at the hoops just as he had done with Teddy. Chase blocked the first four although the third shot was a narrow miss as the Quaffle hit the hoop but bounced far left. On the fifth shot Patrick raced forward toward Chase's left side. As Chase shot forward to intercept him, Patrick threw the Quaffle behind his back and it sailed through the open rightmost hoop. Teddy had saved five. Chase had saved four.

Chase flew roughly down to the ground. He slammed his feet down onto the ground and walked to stand across from Teddy. Patrick joined them soon after.

"Now, as the results clearly show, Teddy will be the new Hufflepuff Keeper. Better luck next year Chase, you are welcome to stay and watch the remainder of the tryouts. Now Teddy, you need to stay until the tryouts are completed so that we can have a team meeting," said Patrick. He then flew off towards the Beaters, most likely to tell Aaron the results.

"Look Chase," began Teddy, "I'm sorry, I…"

"No, don't even say anything. You have ruined EVERYTHING! I thought we were friends? Why did you have to stab me in the back like this? What is wrong with you? You didn't even out fly me you know! He got a lucky shot behind his back, no one could have stopped it!" shouted Chase, clearly upset.

"Hey Chase! It's just Quidditch!" answered Teddy. He felt bad for Chase but didn't appreciate being screamed at.

"It is NOT just Quidditch! You just don't understand do you?! I'm the son of Oliver Wood! I'm supposed to live up to his name! My Dad was a Captain in his fifth year! He was the best Keeper Gryffindor has ever had! Now what do I tell him? His son was cut from the Hufflepuff team? His son is a horrible Keeper? His son is…"

Chase finished shouting as he seemed lost for words. He turned around and walked angrily back up the path towards the castle. Teddy looked at Chase as he walked away and thought there was more to this than just being upset he missed the cut for a team. He flew over towards the stands to wait out the rest of the tryouts.

Eventually, the team was picked. Along with Aaron, Patrick, Teddy, and the returning Chaser Michael Scott, was a fourth and fifth year as the new Chasers and another fourth year as the second Beater.

"Ok Team, look around. These six people you see around you will be your new family. Hufflepuff will have the youngest team in the school, but this does NOT take us out of the running. We will train harder and longer than the other houses and we will claim that cup. Practices start at the beginning of next week. Dismissed!" yelled Aaron.

As Teddy walked back up the path, he saw that the sky was starting to turn dark. He could see the pink and orange clouds over the horizon as the sun began to set. The moon was starting to come out now as well. Teddy, seeing the full moon poke out from behind the clouds, cursed his bad luck.

"Great, I had the worst day of classes in my life, my best friend hates me, and tonight has a full moon!"

Teddy knew what a full moon did to him and dreaded the fall of night over the castle.

**This is the longest chapter of the story so far. Think of it as a pre-emptive reward for lots and lots of reviews. I wanted to build a base for making the characters seem more real in this chapter and the next few chapters will build upon that. The next one will be from Victoire's POV. **


	6. Moonlight

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**Before you read -- I want to thank all of the people that have reviewed my story so far. So. Thank You.**

School seemed to be crawling by for Victoire Weasley. She was laying in her dormitory staring out the window near her bed. From Gryffindor Tower she had a great view of the lake and could see the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily in the early morning. She had woken up early, like she did most mornings, and was waiting for her friends to get up. Tanya, Nicole, Ashley, and Emily, her best friend, were all still sleeping. Victoire couldn't really blame them; they didn't need to get up for another half hour. Not feeling tired; her mind began to wander as she stared out the window. Her first month at Hogwarts had been _ok _she guessed. She liked the other girls in Gryffindor, but she was only really close with Emily. They had taken to each other ever since they had met on the train. Emily was great, but she wasn't the person whose company she longed for. She _missed _Teddy. She thought that once they both were at Hogwarts then everything would be like before. They used spend hours, no days, together when they were younger. Why was it different here at school? Sure he was a third-year Hufflepuff and she was a first-year Gryffindor, but that didn't matter. Did it?

_He's a third year Vicky! He doesn't want to hang out with a wee little firstie like you! _thought Vicky.

Victoire tried to keep her mind off of Teddy. She tried to think of her classes, her homework, anything but the blue-haired boy that Victoire was sure thought he was too old, or too mature, or just too good to hang out with his childhood best friend.

Concentrating hard, she thought of the classes she had so far. She liked her classes…usually. None of them really captured her full attention though. Transfiguration was good, Charms was decent, and the other classes were…ok. She did like Defense Against the Dark Arts even if she was struggling in it. It was the only class where she didn't have straight A's. The material wasn't too hard, she just couldn't concentrate. She always thought of how her father broke powerful dark Egyptian curses, how her mother battled dark creatures as a Beauxbatons Champion, and how her Uncle Harry had ended the wizarding wars. She didn't know all the details, her family didn't talk of the wars often, but she knew he had defeated the most powerful dark wizard the world had ever known. If they had done all that, how could she put all her effort into putting protection spells on buttons? What she needed was someone to help her keep her concentration on her task, not reminiscing about stories her parents or family had told her. She needed someone like Teddy; he could always get her focused. Damn. Everything always led back to Teddy!

She must have been lost in her thoughts for a while as she hadn't heard the other girls rise. They were already returning from their showers and were getting dressed in their Gryffindor robes before she snapped out of her daze.

"Hey Vic, you coming with us to get breakfast before classes?" asked Emily. She was about to leave their first year dorm when she realized Victoire was still lying in her bed.

"Yeah I'll come, but I'll meet you down there alright? I just need some more time," answered Victoire. She wasn't very hungry at the moment.

"Oh ok, see you down there," responded Emily hesitantly. Victoire could see the worry clearly on her face. It made her guilty to cause her best friend to worry, but she really couldn't face going down to the Great Hall surrounded by a gang of giggling girls with no problems and happy, perfect lives.

After her friends had left, Victoire laid in bed for a little while longer. Finally succumbing to her internal argument that she needed to get showered and get breakfast, she slowly rose out of bed. Hopefully she wouldn't be too late to breakfast.

Victoire arrived in the Great Hall and was happy to see her friends still eating their breakfast. She couldn't be that late. She walked over to the first year section of the lion's table and sat down next to Emily. She glanced over at the Hufflepuff table like she did every morning. She saw a blue-haired third-year watching a red-headed girl and a blond boy arguing across the table with a small smile on his lips. So Teddy was here and he didn't even glance over at the Gryffindor table. Well that's just fine with her. She had made it through the first month without Teddy, she could certainly make it through breakfast.

"Hey Vic, you seem kind of…I don't know…distracted? What's up?" asked Emily, obviously still worried from before.

"Oh nothing, just thinking about classes. You know…Defense Against the Dark Arts," Victoire lied.

"Yeah me too" responded Tanya from across the table. She had overheard the conversation between Victoire and Emily. "I just can't stop thinking about Professor Wispen. Isn't he _dreamy_?!"

The other girls immediately agreed and started discussing just how and why Professor Wispen was so dreamy. Even Emily joined in on the conversation this time.

_Great… Girl talk!_ Victoire thought. It was bad enough that she had to listen to it in her dorm room, did they need to continue it during breakfast. She had always been more of a tomboy, something her father said she inherited from her Aunt Ginny. Losing her appetite at how perfectly blue the DADA professor's eyes were, she glanced back over at Teddy's table. He was talking to the blond haired boy about something. Probably Quidditch, that's all boys talked about.

Thankfully the bell rang soon and she got up to head to her first class of the day, Charms with Professor Chang. Just before she left the hall she thought she saw Teddy look in her direction. Nah, he was probably just getting up to leave. He didn't miss her.

Victoire climbed through the Gryffindor portal, exhausted after a full day of classes. Her classes went smoothly, even if she still wasn't really interested in them. When she plopped down in one of the comfy chairs around the common room she wasn't surprised to see a group of girls sitting together around a table whispering to each other excitedly. Girls always got excited and giggly when they got together for more than a few seconds. What she didn't expect to hear was Teddy's name thrown in the conversation.

"Did you hear about that Hufflepuff third-year in Professor Wispen's class? They were learning about Boggarts or something. Supposedly something happened that shook him so badly Professor Wispen had to end class early," finished one of the girls. Victoire recognized her as a second-year.

"Yeah, the cute blue-haired one? His name is Teddy right? My friend is a third-year, she was in the class with him. She wouldn't tell me everything, but she said it was horrible. One of the worst things she ever had to see," responded one of the girls at the table.

"I wonder what it was," added a third girl, "Professor Wispen has _never _ended class early before."

As the rest of the girls started to guess what could have happened Victoire got up to leave the common room. She didn't want to learn what happened to Teddy through second-year gossip. She wanted to go see Teddy and ask him herself. Just before exiting the portal she stopped. If Teddy hadn't come to her when it happened then why did she think he would talk now? Sure, when they were younger they told each other everything, but it was different now. Teddy was a big bad third-year now right? He didn't want to talk about this to a first-year. If something shook him in Defense Against the Dark Arts then he could handle it right?

Victoire's frustration for Teddy eventually overcame her urge to talk to him and she turned around and headed up to her dorm room. She needed to do her homework, Teddy was fine. At least that's what she tried to convince herself.

A few hours later, she could see the sun beginning to set over the mountains. It was still casting a faint light that turned the clouds a magnificent hue of pink and orange. Where has the day gone Victoire thought to herself. She took her books and her quills from her bed and put them away in her trunk. She had finished most of her homework, she only needed to do an essay for Professor Wispen, but it wasn't due for a few days. She headed down to the common room and sat down next to Emily. She seemed to be writing an essay for Professor Binns. She was so engrossed in her work she hadn't even realized Victoire had sat down next to her. Not wanting to interrupt her concentration, she looked around the rest of the Gryffindor common room. She saw a mixed group of first-years sitting near one of the couches and decided to walk over. She needed to meet some new people. She couldn't always rely on Emily after all.

Victoire must have talked with the group for longer than she expected because when she looked out the window, she could see the moon peeking out from behind the clouds in the night sky. Seemed like a full moon tonight.

When the group got up to go to sleep, Victoire didn't follow. She wasn't tired and her head was still buzzing with questions. She knew students weren't allowed out past nine, but she had pulled enough pranks to know how to get away from someone without being noticed. If she could dodge attention after Vanishing her Uncle Percy's hair when she was eight, then Filch would be cake. He was pretty old anyway so she could always outrun him if need be.

Not thinking to grab any extra clothing, she walked out the Gryffindor portal and into the deserted hallway. The castle was dark and quiet, perfect for a little stroll while she worked out some stuff in her head.

Victoire had been walking for nearly an hour. She found herself walking somewhere on the third floor. She had slowed her walk down to look out one of the castle windows. Moonlight was streaming down from the windows, casting a light glow throughout the corridor.

As she passed one of the illuminated windows she heard a noise from farther up the corridor. She quickly hid behind one of the statues and peered down the hall. She didn't see anyone, but decided to stay still just in case. After waiting a few minutes she built up enough courage to leave the safety of the statue's shadow and began walking down the hall one more. She didn't hear any sounds and she grew more confident. She lost herself walking down the corridor, passing into the beam of moonlight every few steps. She lost herself in her thoughts once more before she heard another sound. She ducked behind a statue once again, but when she peered around the statue she didn't find an empty corridor.

Standing farther down the no longer abandoned corridor was the silhouette of a body unmistakably male.

"Damn," whispered Victoire to herself, "stupid Filch just had to walk down _this _corridor."

Victoire quickly weighed her options. She could stay her behind this statute and pray that Filch didn't find her or she could run for it. Filch was old, no way he could keep up with a healthy eleven-year old. After attempting to quickly gather as much Gryffindor courage as possible, she turned and bolted down the corridor away from the silhouette.

As she passed by one of the windows, the full moon's light cascaded across her body and made her silvery-blond hair flash brightly. She kept on running until she heard a voice she never expected.

"Vicky?! Is that you?" asked the stranger with the all-too-familiar voice.

Victoire stopped dead in her tracks. No way, it was the walls of the corridor playing tricks on her ears. She slowly turned around and walked until she stood in the moonlit path in front of one of the corridors.

"It is you! Vicky, what are doing out here?! It must be close to ten-thirty by now! Filch would skin you alive if he found you!"

Victoire didn't respond as the figure stepped forward until he was standing just out of the path of moonlight. As he waited in the shadows, Victoire tried to analyze the situation.

_What is Teddy doing here? Why is he walking down an abandoned corridor? _thought Victoire.

"Is that you Teddy?" asked Victoire. She already knew the answer of course; she wouldn't mistake that voice anywhere. What she didn't understand was why he was standing in the shadows just out of the light.

"Of course it's me! Vicky you need to get back to your tower now!" replied Teddy. She could clearly hear the worry in his voice.

Victoire made to turn around and head to the Great Staircase when a thought struck her.

_He barely utters three sentences to me my whole time at school and then gives me an order? He doesn't care enough to spend time with me, but he pretends to care enough to keep watch out for Filch?_

"No" answered Victoire simply, "I was doing fine before I ran into _you_. I can take care of myself. Now if you excuse me, there is a stretch of empty corridor that is calling my name."

Victoire walked forward quickly, leaving Teddy standing behind her. A few seconds later she could hear him running to catch up with her.

"Vicky I can't let you walk the castle by yourself! That's crazy!"

"Then you'll just have to come along then won't you?"

She heard Teddy struggling to find a counterargument before hearing him sigh in defeat. He fell in pace beside her. They walked down the corridor in silence for a while, Teddy walking on the side opposite the windows, always keeping anything above his waist out of the light streaming through the openings in the walls.

"So Vicky" stated Teddy, trying to break the silence, "how's your first month at Hogwarts?"

"It's ok, not that _you _would know," answered Victoire coolly. She still felt angry, and a little hurt, that Teddy had so effectively ignored her during the past few weeks.

"Look I'm sorry ok? It's not all my fault though! It's not like third-years and first-years have overlapping schedules. Add in that I'm a Hufflepuff and you're a Gryffindor, it's hard to find an opportunity to spend time, "rambled Teddy. Victoire felt he was trying everything to convince her that he hadn't just ignored her.

Not completely convinced, Victoire said "well you could have tried harder! When I walked in the Great Hall this morning you didn't even look over."

"I know, and I'm sorry! I really am! I did try to look for you, I just got caught up with Chase's and Taylor's conversation," explained Teddy. Victoire assumed those must have been the two students that had argued during breakfast. Despite her best efforts, she felt herself being less angry towards Teddy. She could hear how earnestly he wanted to apologize for the lack of contact the past month.

She began to feel a little guilty for being so angry at Teddy. She usually prided herself on behaving well above her age, something she inherited from her father. Being so angry at Teddy for unwittingly ignoring her for a few weeks just seemed so…childish. Finally, she spoke up, "ok, ok I believe you…I guess."

She could hear Teddy sigh and saw his body relax slightly.

"Thanks Vicky, you're the best."

"Tell me something I don't know!" joked Victoire. She heard Teddy let out a small laugh before they resumed their walk in silence. It wasn't the awkward silence like before but a comfortable silence between two friends.

The pair climbed up a flight of stairs that landed them somewhere near the fourth floor. Victoire hadn't been on this part of the fourth floor before, but she was confident Teddy knew where they were going. It was hard to worry about anything really when she was with Teddy.

Victoire had been lost in her thoughts again when the conversation she overheard in the common room came to mind. She remembered how worried she felt for Teddy and now that she and Teddy were friends again she wanted to know if he was ok.

"Hey Teddy, I overheard something about you today when I was in my common room."

She could see his body stiffen. He also started to walk at a slower pace until he stopped and rested his back against the wall across from the windows. He slumped down to the floor, still avoiding the moonlight's gaze.

"Teddy are you ok?" asked Victoire, now worried for her childhood friend.

After about a minute, Teddy finally answered. "Yeah… I'm fine Vicky. What did you overhear?"

"Just that something happened in your Defense Against the Dark Arts Class, is it true?"

Teddy again didn't respond right away. She looked up into his face even though it was covered by shadow. She couldn't see his eyes, but she knew he was looking back at her.

"What do you know about Boggarts Vicky?" asked Teddy suddenly.

"Not much… just that they're a dark creature really."

"A Boggart is a creature that will transform into what a person fears most. It uses this to effectively disable their opponent and make an escape."

"Oh ok" answered Victoire, confused about why Teddy was telling her this.

"When I took my turn at the Boggart it…it…" Teddy paused, Victoire could feel him trying to regain his resolve, "it turned into my Dad. But that wasn't the end, it…he…started to shout at me. He called me worthless and a shame to him. He said I didn't deserve to be a Lupin, that I was just a scared Hufflepuff, that he…had no son," Teddy finished softly.

Teddy seemed unable to continue after his last statement. Victoire could hear the pain in his voice. She couldn't imagine something more horrible happening to him. A father you never knew, a father that was missing from your life, telling you that you were a worthless son. She felt terrible, and incredibly guilty that she had been angry at him just because she hadn't gotten all the attention she wanted. She put her head on Teddy's shoulder and she felt him put his arm around her. She put her small arms around him as well. She could feel his body slowly begin to relax as they sat in silence in the deserted corridor.

"Thanks Vicky" whispered Teddy after quite some time.

"For what?" Victoire asked. She didn't think she had done anything to help.

"For being you," answered Teddy. The two students sat in the corridor for a while longer, Victoire's arms draped around his midsection and his arm laid over her shoulders. Victoire began to shiver. She had been so angry and then so captivated by Teddy's story that she didn't realize how cold it had gotten.

Teddy felt her shivering against his body.

"Victoire, are you only wearing your robes?! You must be freezing! Here take this cloak." Said Teddy, while removing his cloak from his body.

Victoire accepted the cloak gladly. She looked down at the cloak and realized it was trimmed with yellow and black with a badger near the collar.

"What? A proud Gryffindor like me accept a Hufflepuff cloak?! Godric Gryffindor would roll over in his grave!" Victoire joked. Teddy laughed at her statement, clearly not taking her seriously.

"Well you can be a proud, frozen Gryffindor or a warm, Hufflepuff-clad Gryffindor. The choice is yours really. But I hope you take the cloak. If you freeze out here, I might get at least a week's worth of detention!" Teddy mocked. Victoire could hear the smile in his voice.

"Oh a whole week! Well I don't want to freeze and cost you _so _much trouble so I better put it on," replied Victoire. Victoire and Teddy sat against the wall for a while longer. It must be getting pretty late thought Victoire. Her mind started to wander until she began to wonder why Teddy had kept his face hidden all night.

"Hey Teddy, why are you staying the shadows?"

She felt his body stiffen again and he took his arm from off her shoulders. She didn't want to cause him any pain, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. Teddy sat in silence, sitting slightly apart from Victoire before he spoke up.

"You know I get my Metamorphmagus abilities from my Mom right?"

"Yeah your Gran told me about it when we were younger," answered Victoire, unsure for the second time that night where Teddy was leading the conversation. His Gran had told Victoire and Teddy plenty of stories about both of Teddy's parents. She often showed them pictures as well. Usually of Remus and Tonks from before the wars, but sometimes photos of after they were together too.

"Well for most of the month my Mom's Metamorphmagus gift is dominant. When it's a full moon though, my Dad's… inheritance comes through."

Victoire knew that Teddy's Dad had been a werewolf. She had overheard her parents mention it when she was seven. She hadn't learned until later what it really meant though. Since Teddy seemed so…unwerewolfish, she just assumed that Teddy wasn't affected. To hear that he did have some werewolf in him made Victoire unconsciously begin to move farther away from Teddy. Before she even realized what she was doing, she felt Teddy grab her arm.

"No…nothing like that! I'm not a werewolf Vicky. It's just that some of my Dad's side overpowers my Mom's. Since my eleventh birthday, the year I began my wizard training, the full moon has had an effect on me. I can never sleep. I've taken cauldron's full of sleep potion, but I can't rest. My body won't let me sleep when the moon is full. I used to just spend the hours staring at my ceiling in my dorm room. I get the urge to…I don't know…roam though. It feels like something inside me wants to keep moving, to prowl during the night. I've been wandering the halls during the full moons since halfway through my second year. It helps calm the feeling and helps distracts me from it too.

Victoire moved back closer to Teddy, trying to take in all the information given to her. So Teddy wandered the halls during the full moons because of his…recent problem. Victoire understood this, what she didn't understand was what this had to do with him being a Metamorphmagus or him staying in the shadows.

"But why are you hiding yourself in the shadows? Does moonlight increase these…impulses?" asked Victoire confused.

"No, that's not it. During the full moon I…lose my Metamorphmagus abilities. My Dad's side suppresses them.

Victoire tried to take in this new bit of information.

"So, every full moon, you look like…"

"Yes, I look like…me."

Victoire sat in silence for a few seconds before peering up at Teddy's still shadow covered face. Suddenly she knew what she had to do. She rose up and got to her feet while grabbing Teddy's hand and leading him to his feet.

"Vicky, what are you doing? Why did we…" began asking Teddy before realizing that Victoire was leading him into the stream of moonlight near the windows. He stopped moving completely. Victoire, expecting this move, squeezed his hand to reassure him. Eventually, Teddy began to slowly follow Victoire into the light.

Victoire was first to reach the moonlight, she put her back against the window and gently pulled on Teddy's hand. Teddy stopped just outside the beam of light before taking one small step forward that illuminated his face. Victoire gasped at what she saw.

Gone was the blue haired, blue-eyed Teddy she was used to seeing. In his place stood a boy that Victoire barely recognized. His face was fuller than she remembered and his noise more blockish. He had light brown hair with dark chocolate eyes. He gazed at her, awaiting her reaction.

"Oh my god. Teddy you look like…"

"Yes" interrupted Teddy, "I know... I look like my father."

Teddy and Victoire started to walk back to the Gryffindor Tower soon after. Teddy no longer avoided the moonlight and Victoire saw his light brown hair catch the light from the full moon. At the portrait of the fat lady, Teddy and Victoire stopped and turned to each other.

"You know, you never really did tell what you thought of Hogwarts," said Teddy.

"Oh well, Emily is great and I like my classes, even if they're not interesting," replied Victoire.

"Not interesting?! You don't like Charms or Transfiguration or anything?" asked Teddy stunned.

"No I like them; it's just not that really captivating I guess. I'm doing great in most of my classes before you ask, everything but Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Wait you're struggling in DADA?" asked Teddy, looking like he was struck with an idea.

"Yeah I guess, why?"

"And you're a first year?"

"Well duh! You already know that! What are you rambling about?"

"Well Professor Wispen asked me after the…incident, if I wanted to tutor some first years in Defense Against the Dark Arts. If you want, you could take my session, we could spend some more time together. More than now anyways.

"Really! That's great! Yeah I'll take it!"

Victoire, feeling happy she would finally get to see her friend a little more at school, spoke the password to the fat lady and made to give Teddy the cloak she borrowed.

"No keep it. You can use it next full moon. I could always use the company."

Victoire smiled, she would at least spend one night a month with Teddy. Just before she said goodbye she saw the sun poke out from behind the horizon. As the sunlight peered in through the window, she saw Teddy's light brown hair begin to turn to its normal shade of electric blue. She also saw his face thin out a bit, his noise become less blockish, and his eyes revert from chocolate to their normal shade of light blue. Staring back at her was the face she had grown up with, the Teddy she knew.

Teddy and Victoire said their goodnights, or really good mornings they joked, and headed in their separate directions. Teddy walked down the hallway and she heard him descend the stairs while Victoire turned and climbed into the portal. Victoire walked into her dorm room, ignoring the steady stream of light coming in from her window, as she crawled into bed, exhausted from a full night. Victoire sighed happily before dozing off to sleep, her first year at Hogwarts seemed to be about to get a whole lot brighter.

**Well to anyone who wanted a little more Victoire/Teddy interaction, I hope this chapter satisfied you for the time being. There will be A LOT more in the upcoming chapters. This will also be the last chapter in Victoire's first year. Next chapter will jump to her third year and Teddy's fifth. It will be Teddy POV.**

**Reviews let me know if you like where the story is going. If you have any suggestions or just want to tell me how you think I'm doing—READ AND REVIEW. Also, reviews make me happy! **


	7. Heritage

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**Another big THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed this story. READ AND REVIEW.**

_I can't believe I'm halfway done with Hogwarts!_ thought Teddy.

It was the summer before his fifth year at Hogwarts. Teddy was lost in thought of all that had happened during his four full years at Hogwarts, especially his last two. He was walking through the garden in the Burrow. It was past midnight and most of his family had already gone to sleep. The moonlight was cascading down the walls of the burrow, reflecting off the dozens of windows.

The Weasley's had hosted a small, for a Weasley party that is, get together to celebrate Charlie coming home to England for the week. He had a dragon seminar in London the next day and had Apparated from Romania just this morning.

The reason that Teddy wasn't sleeping right now is because this particular summer night played host to a full moon. When the rest of his family had gone to sleep, he had sneaked out. He wasn't alone, however, he hadn't been alone during a full moon for two years now. Victoire walked right beside him, sporting the Hufflepuff cloak she always wore during their midnight walks. She complemented the yellow and black cloak with her red and gold Gryffindor scarf. Using the Hufflepuff cloak during the full moon may be a tradition, but she was still a Gryffindor after all she often said. Teddy didn't mind, seeing her wear his Hufflepuff cloak reminded him off their first full moon night together and that definitely a _happy _memory.

He brushed his normally blue hair out of his eyes. It was a light brown tonight. It was weird walking around looking like himself. Only Victoire knew about it though. He hadn't even told his Gran. He trusted Victoire more than anyone else he knew. If anyone could keep his secret, it was her.

Looking over at Victoire, she appeared to be lost in her thoughts too. She was starting third year, a year full of new classes and therefore new responsibilities. Teddy wasn't worried, Victoire had shown she could handle herself on more than one occasion.

Victoire, like Teddy, had changed a lot during the last two years. She wasn't an eleven-year-old girl anymore, but a quickly maturing teenager. She still wore her silver-blond hair halfway down her back, but recently just the faintest traces of freckles had appeared near the tip of her nose. The only outward testament to her Weasley heritage. Teddy wasn't fooled, however, as much as she looked like the Delacour side of her family, on the inside she was a mix of perhaps every Weasley.

Teddy tried to decide what traits were linked back to what red head. Well she definitely acted, usually, beyond her years. That was from her father, Teddy was sure of it. She was usually pretty easy going, but boy oh boy could she get a temper. This was a trait that she inherited from her Aunt Ginny said his Godfather one evening while hiding from his wife. She had fired a few bat-bogey hexes at him when he said the Seeker position was easily twice as hard as the Chaser spot and he was hiding in Teddy's temporary room in the Burrow. He said she got her tomboy attitude from her as well. Hermione said she got her stubbornness from her Uncle Ron and Uncle George was proud to say she got her love of pranks from him and Fred. Victoire was definitely organized, something she must have inherited from her Uncle Percy. Teddy couldn't see what she had inherited from her Uncle Charlie though.

_Well maybe it just skipped over one. It doesn't have to be uniformly down the line _thought Teddy.

As he was pondering what Uncle Charlie's gift to Victoire must have been, he stepped knee deep into a gnome hole.

"Oh smooth move Teddy," laughed Victoire when she realized Teddy was stuck in one of the many gnome holes that covered the garden. After helping him out of the muddy hole she continued with her mocking.

"You must have used those great Hufflepuff Keeper reflexes to expertly find that hole!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Teddy and Victoire continued their walk in silence. It wasn't that they didn't have anything to talk about, it just that they both used these walks to think. Life during the daylight hours was always so hectic. These walks during the full moon, with no one else around to bother you, were so peaceful it was almost a crime to disturb them with talking.

Despite what Victoire had said, Teddy knew he was actually a pretty decent Keeper. Actually he was a pretty damn fine Keeper admitted Teddy. He was sure that he was the best Keeper at Hogwarts.

Not that it had done much for his Quidditch team thought Teddy sadly. During his first year on the team, they had shocked the school by defeating the Ravenclaw Quidditch team in their second game. The youngest team at Hogwarts, and Hufflepuffs as well, had defeated the veteran Ravenclaws. They had been soundly beaten by both Slytherin and Gryffindor that year however and were not in contention for the cup. His second year had been a little better. During their first game they had again beaten Ravenclaw. In their second game they suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Slytherin. It was their final game that had derailed their season, however. Teddy had played well, only allowing in six goals during the match. Their chasers hadn't scored any goals though and when the Gryffindor Seeker caught the snitch they had lost badly, 210 to 0. This crushed their hopes of winning the cup and they ended up in third place for the second consecutive year. Teddy had earned the reputation of a very talented Keeper throughout the school.

_This is our year! Captain Armstrong is a seventh year and we have one of the most experienced and veteran teams in the school. We'll get some new and better Chasers, a great Seeker, and the badgers will claim the cup this year _thought Teddy vigorously.

It was a happy thought, if a little farfetched. The Hufflepuffs hadn't won the Quidditch Cup in just under 150 years. Even that time was only because the entire Slytherin team protested the match when they were no longer permitted to use "stooging." This was when two Chasers would ram the Keeper, allowing the third Chaser to score. The ban on this tactic was implemented in 1884, after the so call "Stooging Penalty" was signed into rule by the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Slytherin forfeited the match, and Hufflepuff took the Cup.

Thinking about his Hufflepuff Quidditch Team made him remember the day he had tried out and joined it, along with the price he had to pay that day.

He and Chase didn't speak to each other for over a month before Chase finally approached him one day in the common room. He remembered the memory vividly.

Teddy was walking into the entrance of the Hufflepuff Common Room one day after Quidditch Practice. The enchanted windows showed the Hogwarts grounded being pounded with rain and a heavy wind. Teddy knew the windows showed the right weather as he was still coated in mud from practice. His yellow and black Quidditch robes were covered with streaks and huge patches of brown.

His blue-hair was turning lighter and lighter, showing how exhausted he was. Aaron had been pushing the team hard, determined to win their season opener against Slytherin. Teddy knew it was a futile effort, Slytherin had some of the best players in the school. The young Hufflepuffs were major underdogs in their upcoming match. He began walking toward his dorm room, determined to take a shower before working on the History of Magic essay due tomorrow.

"Oh great" whispered Teddy as he saw Chase get up from one of the tables he was sharing with Taylor and start to approach him. He could see Chase turn his head back at Taylor, but then quickly turned it back towards Teddy when he received one of Taylor's angry _get-over-there-right-now_ stares. Teddy knew that _particular _stare well.

Chase walked all the way up to him with his head bowed before he stopped about a foot in front of him, blocking the entrance to the boys' dorm room.

"Hey Teddy, can we talk?" asked Chase to his shoes. He still hadn't turned his head up toward Teddy yet.

"Yeah, what do you want to talk about?" responded Teddy.

"Not here" responded Chase, almost whispering. He finally looked up at Teddy before nodding his head toward the stairs.

"Ok"

Teddy and Chase walked up to the third year boys' dormitory. Thankfully, it was deserted, Christian and his other dorm mates must be in the library or something. More likely getting food from the kitchens though.

Teddy walked in and sat down on his bed. He could always clean the mud stains later. Chase, however, seemed to elect to remain standing.

He looked up at Teddy's hard gaze before quickly looking away and began pacing. He looked like he was trying to walk a trench into the floor when he finally stopped pacing.

"Look, I've been a bit of…a prat this last month," announced Chase. When Teddy didn't respond he added," this isn't easy you know, you could say something."

"Ok… you _have _been a bit of a prat," responded Teddy.

"That's not what I meant! You haven't been a saint either!" responded Chase hotly.

"Me?! What did I do?! I was jus…"

"Fine," interrupted Chase, "I didn't bring you up here to argue."

"Why did you then?" Teddy thought he knew why, but he wasn't going to help him after he had been the recipient of angry stares from his blond haired friend for the better part of a month.

"I came up here to say…I'm sorry" he added sheepishly.

"That's it? Just sorry? You scream at me, ignore, and give me dirty stares for weeks, but all you are is _sorry_?" Teddy didn't usually hold a grudge, but his frustration for Chase was coming out.

"Look you don't know what it's like!" responded Chase, his voice rising.

"I don't know what _what's _like?" answered Teddy coolly. Chase didn't respond right away, he seemed to be trying to pick his words carefully.

"Ok, I know you lost your parents and when I say this I'm going to sound like the world's biggest git. But, having Oliver Wood for a Dad isn't easy. I'm an only child. When I was born, I inherited my Dad's looks. I have his blond-hair, his green eyes, and even his birth mark on my left side. My Dad thought I was just like him in every way, that I would grow up and be the same as him. I've been talking with Taylor a lot about it and she reckons that I'm more like my Mum really. She was a Hufflepuff and she played Quidditch too, but she was a Chaser. She wasn't nearly as good as my Dad though. I want so desperately to be like him, but I can't. First I was a Hufflepuff, and then I get cut from the Keeper position, what's next? I know I'll never be captain so we can add that to the list of failures. I look like my Dad, but I'm not him, I'm me!" Chase was speaking quickly now, almost as if he had been bursting to tell Teddy this for some time.

Teddy sat on his bed stunned. He never would have expected the cool, and usually cocky, Chase to be hiding so much. Trying to live up to one of the most celebrated Gryffindor Quidditch Captains of all time could not be easy. The fact that Oliver Wood had led such a successful life as a professional Keeper couldn't have made things easier either.

"Look Chase," began Teddy, all anger having long since dissipated, "you don't have to explain yourself. Let's just be friends again, ok?"

"No I need to. You flew loads better than me at tryouts and you're a superb Keeper. I've watched some of your practices. I had no reason to be such a prat for so long."

"Well, ok I forgive you and let's just put this behind us. It must have taken a lot for you to this, so thanks."

"Well don't thank me, thank Taylor. If she hadn't pushed me to do this, I'd still be acting like a git for a least a few more months."

Chase sat down next to Teddy and they sat in silence for a while. Teddy wanted desperately to break the silence, but couldn't think of anything to add.

"So…you have a birth mark?" asked Teddy. Chase laughed loudly, evidently relieved Teddy had forgiven him so easily.

"I knew you would ask and nice transition by the way!" Chase laughed. He pulled up his shirt and showed a birth mark that slightly resembled a badly misshapen bird.

"It looks like a bird or something," stated Teddy, still examining the birth mark on Chase's side.

"Yeah," agreed Chase while pulling his shirt back down, "I said it looks like an Augurey, but my Dad insists it's a phoenix."

"A phoenix that got hit with an ugly stick a few hundred times," answered Teddy with a small on his face.

"Well you would know with that face of yours!" laughed Chase. After Teddy hit him on the arm a few times both of them got up to go join Taylor in the common room. Hopefully Christian would be back from the _library_ with some food and drinks. Teddy could see Chase walking down the stairs with a huge grin on his face. He was obviously happy to have his best friend back. Teddy found himself sporting an identical grin as well.

Teddy quickly snapped out of his memory when he saw Victoire waving a hand in front of his face.

"HELLO?! Anyone home?" asked Victoire while still waving her hand in front of his face.

"Wha…What?" asked Teddy

"I _said_, it's getting light out and that we should head inside before the sun comes up."

Teddy agreed and the two made their way back to the burrow. They weren't far and Teddy was careful to avoid any gnome holes. They made it back without incident and the two went upstairs into their separate rooms.

The next morning came much too early for Teddy. Grandma Weasley shouted breakfast was ready from the base of the stairs and Teddy groggily got up from bed. When he went downstairs he saw Victoire already leaning over a bowl of porridge, apparently asleep.

The house was mostly empty; most of the family had gone home either last night or early this morning. It was only Grandma and Grandpa Weasley, Uncle Charlie, Victoire and Teddy that had stayed for breakfast. The rest of the family was coming back for dinner again, but for most of the day, the Burrow would be unusually quiet.

Teddy was about to wake his best friend up when he saw two large owls flying in through the window. He recognized them as Hogwarts owls. The owls swooped into the window and dropped off their letters before heading straight back out.

"Hey Vicky, wake up. Your letter is here."

Victoire snapped awake, "Wha…it is! Give it here!" shouted Victoire before snatching the letter out of Teddy's hand.

She quickly opened her letter. Teddy leaned over her shoulder and saw a letter almost identical to the one he had received two years earlier. It was just a short letter with a book list. It also had the permission sheet for Hogsmeade.

"Oh, I get to go to Hogsmeade this year! I can't wait to go Uncle George's joke shop outlet, or try butterbeer, or…"

Teddy started to zone her out. He knew that she was too excited to stop anytime soon. As Victoire was yelling about all the things she could now do and see, he picked up his letter.

_Hm, that's weird. This feels kind of heavy. Must be a lot of paper _thought Teddy. He tore the back of the letter to open it and he tipped the contents into his hand. A small piece of metal landed in Teddy's open hand.

"Oh, Teddy! You're a prefect!" shouted Victoire, having just ended her tirade of things she would now do, "now you can give detentions and take house points and everything! Except from Gryffindor of course" she finished with a smile.

Teddy was stunned. He looked more closely at the small bit of metal in his palm. He reasoned it was definitely a badge. There was a small badger in the middle surrounded by Hufflepuff colors. On the top it clearly read Prefect. He couldn't believe, he always thought it would go to Christian or somebody.

He took the other papers from the letter and sat down. The first letter was just a reminder that the Hogwarts Express left on September 1st at 11:00 sharp. The second letter was his school booklist, but it was the third letter he was looking for. It was a piece of parchment that congratulated him on becoming a prefect and told him a basic outline of duties. It was signed and dated by Headmistress McGonagall.

_So it's not a joke. I'm a prefect. I'm a HUFFLEPUFF PREFECT! _Teddy thought happily.

"Oh just wait until I tell your Grandmother. She'll be so proud" commented Grandma Weasley happily.

"What's this I hear about prefects?" asked Uncle Charlie who had just walked downstairs. He was wearing torn jeans and a tight red shirt that showed off his accumulated muscles.

"Teddy made prefect Uncle Charlie!" exclaimed Victoire happily. Teddy showed him the badge and the letter.

"Well congratulations Teddy. Never made prefect myself, I was always getting into trouble for sneaking into the forbidden forest or something. Obviously you break the rules a little less. Or are just better at getting away with it," he finished with a wink.

Teddy and Victoire stole a glance at each other before looking away smiling. They had pulled their fair share of pranks over the past couple of years. The least of which was freezing the Slytherin Dungeon entrance.

"And what about you Vic, anything big happening your third year?" asked Uncle Charlie while peering over her shoulder.

"Yeah I'm starting a few new classes, probably Divination and Care of Magical Creatures," answered Victoire.

"I never really got into Divination, Professor Trelawney said I lacked the _inner eye_. I did, however, LOVE Care of Magical Creatures. That was easily my best subject at Hogwarts. I used to sneak back down to the grounds after Quidditch just to see them again. I think its Hagrid teaching the subject now right? He makes a fine teacher, knows more about magical creatures than even me, well except for Dragons, I AM a bit of an expert you know," added Charlie while puffing out his chest and putting on his best, and obviously fake, superior face.

Teddy, Victoire, Grandma and Grandpa Weasley all laughed and everyone sat down to finish their porridge. About a half hour later, Uncle Charlie got up and said he needed to get ready for the seminar. He went upstairs and a few minutes later came back down in his best robes. He hugged Victoire and Teddy, kissed both his parents on the cheek, and walked out the door. A few seconds later a faint pop could be heard.

The rest of the day seemed to speed by for Teddy. He was still wrapping his head around being a prefect when the rest of the Weasley clan arrived for dinner. All of his Aunts and Uncles congratulated him and his Gran actually cried into his shoulder she was so happy. His Godfather said he was proud of him and said he was sure his parents were proud too. Even his younger cousins congratulated him, even if they didn't know what a prefect was.

Teddy's younger cousins had always looked up to him, James especially. He knew they weren't blood related, but he thought of them as real family. He wanted to be a good big brother to James and all the rest of his cousins. Being a prefect was at least a good first step he thought.

Teddy crawled into bed that night. He was exhausted. He had barely gotten any sleep the night before and just spent a very tiring, and extremely happy, day. He had just put on his pajamas and turned out the lights when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in" said Teddy.

"Hey" Teddy immediately recognized the soft voice and saw Victoire's face a second later. She didn't enter, but poked her head through the door.

"I just wanted to say congratulations. If anyone deserves to be prefect, it's you."

"Thanks Vicky."

Victoire stood at the entrance to the doorway. She looked like she wanted to say more, but instead she sighed and just before closing the door whispered "goodnight."

Teddy climbed into bed and just before falling asleep whispered "Goodnight Vicky"

_Maybe I'm not so different from my Dad _thought Teddy, his last thought before falling gently asleep.

**I really wanted this chapter to be a transitional one. I wanted to show how Teddy dealt with Chase while setting up Victoire's third year. I want to thank everyone who read this chapter and especially those who review it!**

**Next chapter is the train ride and first week at Hogwarts. Victoire's POV. **


	8. Jarveys

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**I want to thank anyone who has read this story and especially anyone who has sent a review! THANK YOU. **

"'You excited Teddy?" asked Victoire over her breakfast, an English muffin and a cup of tea. Teddy and Victoire were sitting around the breakfast table at Shell Cottage. Victoire's parents, Bill and Fleur, were standing outside near the edge of their property. She could see them through the window, Bill had his arm snaked around Fleur's waist as they stared out over the cliff at the ocean.

"About what? Breakfast?" joked Teddy, bringing Victoire back to reality. He was sporting his blue hair as always, well not _always_ thought Victoire. His eyes were the light shade of blue that she loved. He was still in his pajamas; shorts and a Hufflepuff t-shirt.

"Oh shut up! You know what I meant. You excited to go back to Hogwarts? You're going to be a prefect now too!" answered Victoire. She, on the other hand, was already fully dressed. She had on jeans and red shirt with her hair falling over on her shoulders. Despite being a bit of a rebel, she was undoubtedly organized. Her trunk had been fully packed for the past two days, something she could not say about Teddy.

It seemed as if a war zone had gone off in Teddy's room. Between the socks on the lamp shade, the jeans hanging from the ceiling fan, and the various other articles of clothing strewn about, the cleanest thing in Teddy's room _was _his trunk, due to the fact that it was completely empty.

"Oh don't remind me, now I have prefect duties on top of Quidditch! There goes free time," answered Teddy dramatically. Victoire knew it was an act. Despite what he said, she knew he was ecstatic about being a prefect.

"You better hurry up you know, we're leaving in about an hour," answered Victoire, ignoring his dramatic claim about prefect's and their time constraints.

"Please, I _seriously _doubt your parents are keeping track of time right now."

Teddy had a point there. Victoire could see her parents still standing by the shore, yet they were no longer gazing at the newly risen sun. They were still standing arm and arm and she could see them sharing a gentle kiss. Victoire, unlike most children, wasn't squeamish when she saw her parents kiss. She knew from an early age that they loved each other deeply. Seeing them show affection was just normal in her household.

"Well you better go pack now or I'll hex your legs together!" retorted Victoire. They both knew it was an empty threat; they couldn't perform magic outside of school. It did get the point across.

"Ok fine, don't get your panties in a twist," answered Teddy seriously. They looked at each other before bursting out laughing.

"Can you imagine if we really fought like that?!" laughed Teddy. Victoire agreed with him, she had been upset with Teddy before, but they never really had a lasting argument. The closest they came was their first midnight walk two years ago.

Teddy went upstairs a few seconds later after stuffing his face with a few more forkfuls of eggs.

"Yo' gon' 'elp?" asked Teddy at the foot of the stair through his mouthful of eggs. He had that pleading look on his face, complete with large puppy dog eyes, that she could never resist. He knew it too.

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming," answered Victoire grudgingly

Victoire followed her best friend up the stairs. They would be meeting up with Teddy's Gran soon. After that they would head to King's Cross station where they would meet up Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny before boarding the train.

Victoire turned the corner and peered into Teddy's room. If anything, it seemed even worse than she remembered. She was certain those underwear hadn't been hanging out the window yesterday. She walked into the battlefield and started to help her best friend pack.

Victoire helped Teddy pack for the better part of an hour before her parents came back inside. They were confident that Victoire would pack and then help her disorganized best friend too. They didn't need to pester her anymore.

Finally the three climbed into the back of the Ministry car after placing their trunks in the...well..._trunk_. Traveling with the godson of Harry Potter _did_ have several advantages, one of which was getting a Ministry car immediately upon request. They could have easily Apparated to an alley near King's Cross, but they chose the cars for the benefit of Teddy's Gran.

Victoire knew that she was a tough woman, she had been so during her entire life. Lately however, Teddy's Gran had been showing her age. During her last stay at Teddy's house, about a week ago, she had noticed the woman beginning to slow down. She may only be thirteen, but she could recognize the signs of old age.

She knew that Teddy was worried about her. He had Uncle Harry, but she knew he loved Gran like a parent. He had spent most of the summer at his own house this year, something unusual for Teddy, who usually frequented Shell Cottage, Grimmauld Place, and the Burrow. His Gran had practically shoved him out the door when he brought up Victoire's suggestion to stay at her house. She said she was tired of him worrying over her and to enjoy his last night away from Hogwarts. Teddy was reluctant, but one just didn't argue with his Teddy's Gran.

After a drive, they arrived at the home of Andromeda Tonks. Teddy immediately rushed inside to help his Gran to the car. She didn't appreciate being considered fragile and politely hit Teddy in the arm with her cane when he tried to put a hand on her shoulder. She walked independently, although slowly, to the Ministry car. After getting everyone resettled, they continued on to King's Cross Station.

The trip was uneventful, and after leaning through the barrier onto platform 9 ¾, they met up with Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny. They had seen off Teddy for every year at Hogwarts and this year was no different.

When they walked up to Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny they chatted a little about their trip here. Uncle Harry then asked if Teddy would talk to him for a moment. She could see the confused look on his face before he shrugged his shoulders and followed his Godfather.

She watched as Teddy and Uncle Harry shared a whispered conversation. She saw Uncle Harry take something out of his pocket and hand it carefully into Teddy's outstretched hand. It just looks like a spare bit of parchment thought Victoire. She saw that Teddy mirrored the confused expression on her face before Uncle Harry whispered something and Teddy's eyes grew wide, confusion replaced with shock and then happiness. He hugged his Godfather and the pair walked back soon after with Teddy sporting a wide grin.

Victoire wanted to ask them what the conversation had been about, but the bustle of activity on the platform soon drove the exchange from her mind.

Uncle Harry gave both of them his obligated stay-out-of-trouble speech before adding with a wink to just not get caught. Aunt Ginny smiled, but pretended not to hear. Bill and Fleur both hugged and kissed Victoire and Teddy goodbye. After a few more hugs and a tearful farewell from Gran, they were off.

"Hey Vicky, why don't you go find the compartment with my friends in it, they like you. Unless you want to sit somewhere else?" asked Teddy after boarding the train.

Thinking of her Gryffindor dorm mates and all of the girly talk that filled the long train ride, Victoire responded "No that's fine. I'll find Emily first though."

When Teddy began to walk in the opposite direction Victoire stopped him, "Hey, where are you going? I thought we were finding that compartment?"

"No that's what _you _are doing. I have to go to a prefect's meeting," answered Teddy.

"Oh, ok, I'll see you in a bit then." responded Victoire, realizing her mistake.

Finding Emily wasn't too hard, as the black-haired Gryffindor had been looking for Victoire too. Victoire thought that when she agreed to sit with Teddy's friends that Teddy would be there. Approaching a group of three Hufflepuff fifth years seemed a little daunting without Teddy.

About two-thirds down the train, they peered in a compartment where they recognized Chase Wood. Gathering up all their Gryffindor courage the two third-years slid open the compartment door and walked inside.

The first thing that Victoire realized was that they weren't three Hufflepuffs, but only two. Chase, the one with green eyes, or the gorgeously hot blond as her dorm mates referred to him, was sitting next to a brown-haired boy she recognized as Christian Macmillan.

"Hey," both girls said at once, Victoire much more confidently than Emily.

"Hey," responded both boys, although she saw Christian's eyes linger on Emily.

The girls put away their trunks and sat down on the seat opposite the Hufflepuffs.

There was a bit of awkward silence with Victoire, Emily, and Christian just peering around the room before Chase finally spoke up.

"Teddy asked you to sit with us right? And before you ask, yes its fine," spoke Chase knowingly.

"Oh…well…yeah. Thanks. How did you guess?" asked Victoire. Emily also looked genuinely impressed.

"I've been friends with Taylor for five years now. She's good at this sort of stuff and it kind of rubs off on you. AND despite what Teddy told you, I do not _actually _have rocks for brains," laughed Chase.

After that most of the tension dissipated immediately.

"Where is Taylor by the way? I thought for sure she would be sitting in here," asked Victoire after she had finished laughing.

"Oh she made Prefect," announced Chase offhandedly.

"Really! That's great! I don't think Teddy knew though, at least he didn't mention it," answered Victoire.

"No, she didn't tell him, wanted to keep it a surprise. They should back any minute now," responded Chase. Emily and Christian were both unusually quiet during this exchange. This was odd considering Emily could talk your head off on the best of days and Teddy had mentioned how much Christian liked to joke.

True to his word, Teddy and Taylor materialized a few minutes later. They came into the compartment looking exhausted.

"How was the meeting there Teddybear?" asked Chase. He had scooted over to make room for Taylor and Teddy sat down next to Victoire. Christian and Emily were seated closest to the window.

"Teddybear?" asked Teddy unsurely.

"Yeah I'm going to try out a few nicknames this year, you like it?" asked Chase through his smile.

"Yeah it's great," replied Teddy sarcastically, "and isn't Teddy already a nickname?"

"Well _yeah_, but _everyone _calls you Teddy, where's the fun in that? So how about Teddykins or Teddyboo? Are those better?" asked Chase, laughing while Teddy reached over and hit him on the arm a few times.

The rest of the compartment laughed as well and the ride passed quickly. Teddy, Victoire, Chase, and Taylor talked about Quidditch, Hogsmeade, and anything else that came across their minds. Emily and Christian didn't add to their conversations though. It wasn't that they weren't talking; they were actually talking quite a lot. They seemed to have forgotten there were four other people in their compartment and the pair talked almost exclusively to each other the entire ride. Victoire often looked over when she heard Emily laughing at something Christian had said. He was sporting a wide grin whenever this happened.

The train arrived at Hogsmeade Station and the six students got their trunks and walked out onto the platforms. After waving to Hagrid, who was herding a group of scared looking first-years, they made their way to the horse-less carriages. The six piled in and the carriage took off. Again, as the six talked, there seemed to be two distinct conversations, the one Emily and Christian were having, and the one between everyone else.

The group arrived at the front doors and walked inside before heading into the Great Hall. Teddy, Chase, Taylor, and Christian headed toward the Hufflepuff Table while Emily and Victoire sat down at the Gryffindor Table.

"Why are you grinning so much?" asked Victoire, though she thought she knew the answer. Emily was still stealing glances at a brown-haired boy sitting in black and yellow robes.

"Oh you know, it was a good train ride," she replied, still wearing her wide grin.

"Yeah…sure," answered Victoire knowingly.

Soon after, Headmistress McGonagall stood up and began to speak.

"Now, I hope all of you are happy to return to a new year here at Hogwarts. I have a few announces before the feast. The Forbidden Forest is, obviously, still forbidden. Caretaker Filch has added to the list of banned items and the full list can be read on his office door. I would also like to announce that Professor Jones has returned from his five year sabbatical."

McGonagall motioned to the only new face at the staff table. He had a rough look on his face, as if the past five years had been anything but pleasant. "His research has proved to be very useful to the betterment of the school," Headmistress McGonagall added.

As McGonagall continued to talk on the small changes that we're being implemented, Emily turned to a Victoire and asked the question that was on every students mind.

"What do you think he did?" whispered Emily. Victoire could hear the question being asked up and down Gryffindor table. The answers that she heard, however, she would bet 1000 galleons were false. One second year said he had heard he spent the last five years living in the belly of a dragon. A fifth year farther up the table said she was positive that he had spent the entire sabbatical disguised as a gnome. Zoning out her ears to these ridiculous suggestions she turned back to Emily.

"I don't know, must have been important though. McGonagall had to teach his transfiguration class while he was away and he was the Head of Gryffindor too. Professor Longbottom did well as his replacement, I wonder if they'll keep it that way."

McGonagall, seeming as all-knowing as ever, answered her question almost immediately.

"Professor Longbottom will continue to act as Head of Gryffindor as Professor Jones will be continuing his research along with his duties here at Hogwarts. Now that we have covered the essentials, I am happy to say…tuck in!"

All talk of mysterious research projects or Herbology-crazed Head of House immediately dissipated as the table was filled with a magnificent feast. Glancing over at the Hufflepuff Table, which she often did during any meal, she saw Teddy attacking a turkey leg like an animal, matched only in ferocity by the sight of Chase devouring half a chicken. With a small smile on her she turned back around and began her meal.

The rest of night seemed like a blur to Victoire. She had been so exhausted by the trip up to the castle and the feast had made her lethargic. She remembered seeing Teddy and Taylor leading out the new Hufflepuffs though. She could then vaguely recall following her prefect up to Gryffindor Tower, learning the new password was "timbingle" and then collapsing onto her bed.

The following day was a Sunday and Victoire was grateful for the chance to sleep in after her hectic day. When she awoke she saw she was the last one in bed. She could see the sun shining brightly outside her window and decided she had better get up before she wasted the day. Using this logic didn't keep Victoire from falling straight back asleep.

An hour later, Victoire finally _did _get up. After she had showered she went down to the common room to find her friends. It didn't take her long to find the familiar head of long black hair. What she hadn't expected was that Emily was playing a fourth-year girl in Wizard's Chess. She had never seen Emily play Wizard's Chess before or even remembered Emily ever mentioning that she did play Wizard's Chess.

Victoire walked over and saw that Emily was not doing well. Her Rook was openly disagreeing with her decision to move to E5. It became apparent why when a moment later he was clobbered mercilessly by the fourth-years Queen. Emily soundly lost the match a few moves later, the King throwing his crown down onto the board.

As Emily congratulated the fourth-year and starting cleaning up the board Victoire decided to voice the question floating around in her mind.

"I didn't know you play Wizard's Chess Emily. Are you always that good?" she mocked. Emily must have decided to ignore her obvious gibe as she simply continued to clean up the board.

"Well I thought I should take it up, I don't play Quidditch and I could use a hobby," she stated.

Victoire, not convinced,"Oh really? And you just happened to land on Wizard's Chess _Ms. Emily Bishop_?"

"Yes _Ms. Victoire Weasley_" Emily answered in the same tone, "Is there something wrong with Wizard's Chess?"

"Oh no nothing at all, I was just wondering if you wanted to take up Wizard's Chess due to a certain fifth-year Hufflepuff being the President of the Wizard's Chess Club?" Victoire asked with a sly smile on her face.

"No. I just thought it would be a good game to learn," replied Emily though she could see her cheeks blushing.

"Yeah I agree, Christian is pretty ugly and stupid," responded Victoire simply.

"He is NOT ugly and stupid!" shouted Emily as she rounded on Victoire.

"AHA! So you do like him!" celebrated Victoire as they made their way over to an empty couch.

"That's not what I said!" answered Emily although her blush had deepened. They both seated themselves on the comfy red sofa.

"Oh come, well tell me, what's he like?" asked Victoire curiously. She usually wasn't prone to gossip like this, but she would make an exception for Emily. Outside of Teddy, she was the closest friend she had.

"Oh all right," agreed Emily reluctantly, the redness of her cheeks subsiding some, "well we started talking on the train about our summers. He was really funny, and he's smart, and really _really _cute." She smiled fondly after this statement and stared off into space.

"HELLO?! Earth to Emily!" yelled Victoire loudly when Emily let her mind wander. Emily snapped back to reality with an annoyed expression on her face as if Victoire had just interrupted a _very_ happy memory.

"Where was I?" asked the slightly more annoyed Emily when she saw the small smile on Victoire's lips.

"You stopped right after he was, and I quote, really, _really_, cute."

"Oh right, well we just sort of got lost in our conversation on the train. When I looked out the window and the saw the sun starting to set, I was shocked. Talking to Christian had been so easy that I didn't realize we had spent the past few hours talking." Emily rested to take a quick breather. She had started to ramble on about Christian.

"When he asked if I played Wizard's Chess in the carriage I lied and said that I loved it. He looked so happy that he invited me to join his club. So now I've got to be at least decent at Wizard's Chess before tomorrow's meeting. Now, if you excuse me, I see a first-year girl looking under the couch for the wand tucked behind her ear. If I can't beat _her _at Wizard's Chess then I'll need to come up with a new plan."

Victoire watched as Emily walked away and politely told the girl that she was going to play her in chess or she would make her eyebrows reach the ground. The first-year of course quickly agreed to a game of chess.

Victoire spent the rest of the day relaxing. She had finished all her summer work and wanted to have some down time before classes started tomorrow. She watched as Emily lost not once to the scared first-year, but five times consecutively. When she was about to comment about this to Emily, she was given a look that made her immediately shut her mouth. If there is a look that can say I-just-dare-you-to-so-I-can-send-a-curse-at-you, Emily pulled it off.

Victoire went to sleep early that night. She was going to wait for Emily, but she noticed she had already fallen asleep and was slightly drooling on her chess board. Going 0-24 must be tiring she thought to herself. After changing into pajamas and climbing into bed, she fell asleep, excited for the next day to start.

Victoire woke up, went through her daily routine, and walked down with Emily to breakfast. She shot a glance at Teddy's table and saw him sleeping next to his bowl of porridge. She wasn't the only one sneaking glances, however, as Emily and Christian kept sneaking small peeks at each other. Every time they caught each other's eye they blushed and quickly looked away smiling. Victoire decided not to torment her friend, there was time for that later.

Victoire headed down to the grounds after breakfast. Her first class of the day was Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Hagrid. She wasn't sure how she felt about this class. She hadn't been that interested in any of her other classes so she thought this one wouldn't be that different.

As she approached her Professor's hut she saw that he had what seemed like a dozen large ferrets tied to several different posts. The ferret-looking animals had plush tan fur, small leathery noises, and seemed to be pawing the ground for food. They look kind of cute thought Victoire.

She could see some of her fellow Gryffindor third-years although Emily was absent. She had a different schedule for the most part than Victoire. She could also see the Slytherin third-years they would share the class with. Standing away from the mass of green and silver, she waited for the class to start.

Professor Hagrid exited his hut a few minutes later and beamed at his first students of the year.

"C'mon, now, gather round," shouted the towering Professor. He mentioned with his hands for the students to make a full circle around the large ferrets.

"Now, as some of yeh must know," Hagrid began, "I've gathered up some Jarveys for yeh first class."

"Well of course they know we're Jarveys you big oaf!" shouted a voice somewhere near Victoire. After looking around and seeing the confused faces of many of her fellow students she decided one of the Slytherins must have said it.

"Now," continued Hagrid, unfazed by the interruption, "Jarveys are capable of human speech, but they lack the intelligence for true conversation."

"I'll show you who lacks intelligence you big hairy buffoon!" shouted a similar voice as the first one.

Victoire realized with a shock that the voice had come from one of the large ferret looking creatures. It was the _Jarvey _who was insulting the Professor?!

"Jarveys usually rely on short, and often rude, sentences to communicate with humans," continued Hagrid.

"I'm not rude, I'm just honest, and I can _honestly _say you're the only person with a face so ugly I mistook it for your arse!" shouted a third Jarvey.

The other Jarveys quickly agreed and Victoire distinctly heard the phrase sheep-lover and dung-brains thrown in repeatedly.

"Now I want you to all partner up and approach one of the Jarveys. If yeh can hold a conversation for thirty seconds without them insulting yeh, then consider it a success. And don't be worried, Jarveys are practically harmless; they can't do any more damage to yeh than the average ferret.

"I'll show you who's harmless! Come lets go mono-e-mono, just you and me fat boy!" yelled a fourth Jarvey.

The rest of the lesson was filled with the shouting of angry, foul-mouthed Jarveys. No one had been able to go thirty seconds without being insulted although one Gryffindor did make a Jarvey stop insulting him by hitting it with a silencing charm. Victoire had gone the longest, however, as she left a Jarvey speechless by replying to his suggestion she get her face checked for excessive ugliness, by commenting on his plush fur.

This was by far the most interesting class she had ever been in. Nothing in Charms, or Transfiguration, or Potions, or any other class had been as fascinating as this class with the Jarveys. Even their rude comments somehow made the class more enjoyable as she saw the shocked looks on her peers' faces. One insecure Slytherin girl was called toad-face repeatedly by a particularly nasty Jarvey and poked it hard with her wand. Unfortunately, for her anyway, Professor Hagrid saw this and took fifteen points from Slytherin for harassing the Jarvey.

"Hey teach, I'm impressed! I didn't know you could talk out your arse! Oh wait, that's your face!" shouted the same nasty Jarvey.

Soon after, Professor Hagrid called time and dismissed the class, Victoire gladly stayed behind and helped prepare for the next class. All of the other students walked back to the castle nursing their hurt prides.

"This was the best class I've ever been in," she replied to Hagrid honestly when he asked her how she had liked it.

"Oh isn't that just ruddy brilliant? Now let's put this last Jarvey into the pen and you can go back up to the castle."

The Jarvey they had been trying to sheppard into the pen escaped though and ran off towards the forbidden forest. Victoire reacted faster than her Professor and tore off after it. She had only run a few dozen yards when she stopped dead in her tracks. She was both terrified and fascinated by the scene in front of her.

Standing a few more yards in front of her, standing in a clearing just within the forbidden forest, stood the most intimidating creatures she had ever laid eyes upon. There stood five creatures of incredible size, easily the size of a fully grown rhino. They were grayish purple with a humped back. She could clearly see two long, sharp horns. She also noticed that the beast walked on large, four-thumbed feet.

She was still standing frozen to the spot, unable to take her eyes off the creatures when Professor Hagrid caught up with her.

"Ah, I see yeh found the Graphorns I've rounded up for the N.E.W.T. students. Most wizards say their dangerous and should be left up in the mountains, but I think they're…"

"…beautiful," finished Victoire. She meant it too. She had never seen anything so awe inspiring as the massive creatures in front of her.

She listened intently when Professor Hagrid explained how mountain trolls usually tried to ride Graphorns and that they were extremely aggressive in nature. He even listed their favorite foods and migrating habits. He seemed eager to teach such an interested student. Victoire stared at the Graphorns throughout the lecture, only tearing her eyes away to ask a question to her Professor.

After a half hour of learning about the fascinating, and incredibly dangerous, Graphorns she grudgingly looked away from the beasts and told her Professor she needed to head back to make Charms.

"Ah, that's ok, yeh can visit me any time yeh know. I'm just a gnome's throw from the castle really," announced Hagrid happily. He could see the genuine interest and fascination in her eyes. It reminded him of another Weasley he knew.

"Yeh know, you remind me of yeh Uncle Charlie. I didn't start teaching until long after he graduated, but he is just as big a magical creature fanatic as I am. Now off you go, back to the castle."

Victoire nodded and smiled before turning around and heading back up to the castle.

She smiled the entire trip back to the front doors. She didn't know how much she was like her Uncle Charlie, but she did know one thing. Both of them LOVED Care of Magical Creatures.

**Another big thank you to any returning or new visitors to this story. An especially large THANK YOU to all reviewers. **

**Next chapter will still be Teddy's fifth year and will be Teddy's POV. It will take place just before the first Hufflepuff Quidditch match of the season. **


	9. Shards

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**Priestpotter:**

**As always, I thank all readers and give an especially big THANK YOU to all reviewers!**

"What a couple of weeks" whispered Teddy softly to himself. For everybody else it was just a normal Monday afternoon, but for Teddy, it was a Monday afternoon that would lead into a night he would spend wandering the castle. He was resting his back against the stone wall under a towering window on the third floor, his electric blue hair waving faintly from the breeze coming through the window. Across from him was the portrait of Francis the Flatulent, a gassy 13th Century English knight. As Teddy stood up to take one more look at the Hogwarts grounds before they were swallowed by darkness, he saw storm clouds looming in the distance. Their ominous mass seemed to be heading straight for the castle, intent upon covering its towers in a gale.

Teddy sat back down, this time under the portrait instead of the window. He had a perfect view of the sun from this west-facing window. He could only see the very top of the sphere and soon, only a few minutes later, it disappeared all together.

Although Teddy could barely feel it, so used to using his Metamorphmagus abilities, he could sense his blue hair turning gradually to light brown and his light blue eyes transforming back into their natural chocolate color. It didn't take long to find the full moon in the night sky. It shone much more brightly than the faint stars surrounding it.

When Teddy first noticed the effects that the moon caused after his eleventh birthday, he cursed the white orb in the night sky. His Metamorphmagus abilities were one of his few traits that he could directly trace back to his parents. He loved the bond he shared with his Mother, being a Metamorphmagus made her seem closer. He hated how the full moon would take this away from him.

Since his third year, Teddy's attitude began to change.

The more he thought about it, the less sense it made to hate the moon for its effects. If anything, he should be grateful. The long walks that he took under its light allowed Teddy to analyze his hectic life. He often spent hours uninterrupted, just lost in his thoughts.

As for the moon's effect on him, it wasn't that it was taking away a part of Nymphadora, but giving him a part of Remus. Both he and his Dad were affected by the full moon. True, he knew his Father's ailment was much worse than his, but just the fact that both of them had a common weakness soothed him. He felt closer to his Dad on a full moon's night, something that always eluded him when he had control over his Metamorphmagus abilities.

Tearing his thoughts away from his parents, for he knew all too well that only harm comes from dwelling on them, he tried to sort through the last two weeks. Checking his secret weapon and seeing that he still had a good amount of time before Victoire would join him, he resettled under the portrait and thought of the past two weeks. His first train of thought was about an event that occurred about a half a week ago in the Hufflepuff Common Room.

Teddy was sitting with Taylor at one of the many tables in the common room. They were working together on a particularly nasty potions essay due the next day.

"Hey Teddy, flip to the chapter on flobberworm mucus again, I think that we need to…"

Whatever Taylor had needed to use the chapter for, Teddy never knew, for at that moment Chase burst through the common room entrance. He seemed out of breathe, but had a huge grin plastered on his face. He made a beeline for straight for Teddy looking, if at all possible, even happier.

"Teddy you'll never believe it, it's the greatest thing to ever happen! I must have swallowed Felix Felicis while finding a four-leaf clover after stumbling upon a rabbit's foot for this to happen! It's like Helga Hufflepuff smiled at me and then…"

"Chase calm down! What happened?" asked Teddy, desperately trying to cut off Chase's rant.

"Ok, well you know how I went up to the hospital wing after Care of Magical Creatures because of those burns wounds I got from the fire crabs?" asked Chase, trying to steady himself, but unable to wipe the large grin off his face.

"Yeah, that was our last class, it's only been about a half hour." answered Teddy confused. Nobody, except maybe Uncle Charlie, would be that happy about burn wounds.

"Well I was laying in one of the hospital beds near the entrance with some salve on my burn wounds when Professor Wispen walked in through the door with Jack LeFever."

"Typhoid?" asked Teddy.

"Wha…What? Nobody had Typhoid!" responded Chase, now the confused one.

"No that's Jack's nickname. Get it? LeFever – Typhoid. It made sense when Pat came up with it" conceded Teddy.

"Well… ok, you know how Jack plays Chaser for your Quidditch team?" asked Chase, seemingly oblivious to how unnecessary this question was.

Chase paused, actually awaiting an answer. Teddy decided to humor the blond. He must not be thinking straight because he's so excited.

"Yes Chase, I am aware that Jack LeFever is a Chaser for my Quidditch Team" answered Teddy shortly.

"Well when he walked in with Professor Wispen, he looked kind of…I don't know…sluggish. Like he had been tranquilized or something. Madam Pomfrey took one look at him and then laid him in a bed near the back of the wing. They must have forgotten that I was there though because when they walked away from Jack's bed they stopped only a few beds over from mine" rambled Chase. He had begun to talk very fast again, but stopped to collect his breathe before continuing.

"They started talking in a low whisper but I could still hear them, you know how good my hearing is. Madam Pomfrey asked him what was the matter with Mr. LeFever. Professor Wispen said that Jack was in his N.E.W.T Defense Against the Dark Arts class when he had sort of a breakdown. When he couldn't produce a corporal patronus, he started shouting about how much he had to do. He shouted how he had been staying up all night to finish his homework and how he never knew it would be so much work to be a healer. He started yelling about how he had to go to Quidditch practice too and that there just wasn't enough time in the day for it all."

Teddy knew that last year, Teddy's fourth and Jack's sixth, Jack had decided to be a healer instead of a curse breaker. This meant he was a year behind other students who had decided on being healers their fifth year. When someone told him just, he said he didn't care and that he could handle it. He obviously couldn't.

"Well Professor Wispen said he took him into his office and gave him a calming drought from one of his stores. He said he then talked to Jack about what had caused his breakdown. He gave Jack another calming drought before leaving his office and then walked him up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey then asked him what he planned to do about Jack. He said he had no choice, but to recommend to Headmistress McGonagall and Captain Aaron Armstrong that Jack is relieved of his team duties. If he drops all of his electives and sports, he may be able to finish his academics and pass his N.E.. Isn't that great?!" finished Chase, his smile even wider than before.

Teddy looked at Chase confused. True, he had never been that close with Jack even though they had both been on the same Quidditch Team for two years. Jack was perhaps the only teammate that he _wasn't _great friends with. Jack kept to himself mostly, but he was a good Chaser so Aaron didn't mind. As long as he didn't upset the team chemistry, his spot on the team was secure.

Even so, Teddy wasn't remotely happy that Jack had suffered a breakdown. Also, he couldn't think of any reason that Chase would be happy that his fellow Hufflepuff had been sent to the hospital wing. Chase could be a bit of a jerk sometimes, but he was a good person.

"Ok, but why are _you _so happy that Jack is in the hospital wing?" asked Teddy after thinking for a few seconds.

"_Because _Teddy, if McGonagall and Aaron agree with Professor Wispen then Jack will retire from the team. Aaron will have to hold special tryouts to fill that freed spot! He will have to pick a new Chaser!" exclaimed Chase excitedly.

If Professor Wispen, a man who knew only too well the mental stress playing Quidditch could have on a person, thought that Jack retiring from the Quidditch Team would help him, then McGonagall and Aaron would _have _to agree with him. What Teddy didn't know, was what any of this had to do with Chase.

"Why do you care if a Chaser spot is freed? I thought you were a Keeper?" asked Teddy, hoping Chase didn't bring up any unpleasant memories about tryouts.

"No, my _Dad _is a Keeper. _I'M_ a Chaser!" replied Chase coolly, his grin vanishing for a second. It returned as quickly as it had left however. "I've been playing Chaser for the past two years, even practicing with my Mum sometimes. I didn't think that the spot would open up until next year though. This means I can try out for the team when it's full of veterans!"

If Jack retiring really was for the best, then what Chase said was true and Aaron would have to hold special tryouts. Teddy knew he hadn't planned on any tryouts because no team member had graduated last year. With the team full of mostly sixth and seventh, the team chemistry was superb.

There may be students who were better skilled than some on the team, but there was no way they could mold into a position player fast enough in one year. Team chemistry meant everything to Aaron, he wouldn't jeopardize it lightly.

Teddy, momentarily distracted from his thoughts, looked at his prized possession. He had heard a noise, but realized that it must have been just Peeves destroying desks on the floor above him. After getting comfortable again, or as comfortable as someone can be when waiting against a stonewall for a friend, he recalled how Chase had been right and that Aaron had held special tryouts two days later.

When tryouts came, Teddy realized Chase must have told the truth and that he had been practicing. He far outstripped the other tryouts and easily earned the final spot on the team. Teddy was glad that Chase had finally made the team. Chase loved Quidditch and it had been Teddy who had denied him the opportunity to play during his first tryout.

"Jeez, you really zone out don't you? You didn't even hear me walking up to you" stated a voice Teddy knew well. Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked up at the smiling face of his blond-haired best friend. She was wearing a Gryffindor shirt with his Hufflepuff cloak.

"Nice of you to finally show up" smirked Teddy. He had arrived early at their meeting place, but that didn't stop him from teasing. Few things would.

"Not my fault you're early. I'm exactly on time" responded Victoire smugly.

Teddy rose to his feet after putting Victoire's surprise in his pocket. The pair started to walk down the hallway. It had begun to rain over Hogwarts and Teddy could hear the distant rumbling of thunder.

"What were you just holding?" asked Victoire, eyeing Teddy carefully. Teddy knew that she wasn't a fan of surprises.

"Oh nothing, just a spare bit of parchment" lied Teddy. He was going to tell Victoire about his Godfather's gift, but he wanted to wait until the right time.

"Sure" replied Victoire, sounding unconvinced. After a little while of walking in silence, Teddy decided to speak up and start a conversation.

"So anything interesting happen to you today, Vicky?" asked Teddy. He and Victoire had climbed up a flight of stairs. Teddy knew Peeves was on the fourth floor, but he was all the way on the opposite side of the castle by now.

"Nothing really, I was just helping Hagrid with some Nifflers and the Occamy after classes," shrugged Victoire.

"You helped Hagrid with an _Occamy_?! I thought they were only found in the Far East! Aren't they extremely aggressive to _anyone _who approaches them?!" gasped Teddy.

"They just get a bad rap" retorted Victoire "an Occamy is a plumed, two-legged serpentine beast. _NOT _a mindless killer. They're really quite beautiful actually, once you get past the poisonous fangs of course."

"Hagrid really did a number on you didn't he?" asked Teddy, still shocked at how lightly Victoire discussed dangerous creatures.

Victoire decided to take the mature approach and kicked Teddy hard in the shin.

"What was that for?!" exclaimed Teddy, wincing and holding his shin.

"You know why!" replied Victoire, trying to seem angry, but couldn't hide the large grin on her face.

"Ok, ok" responded Teddy, still rubbing his shin. "Anything _else _happen to you today?"

The pair continued their walk down the corridor after Teddy gained enough feeling back in his leg to walk.

"Well, I did run into Emily when she was getting ready for her Wizard's Chess Club meeting" replied Victoire with a smile.

"That must have been exciting" replied Teddy with a smile of his own. He remembered his own encounter with a friend that day.

Teddy was working in the Hufflepuff Common Room earlier today, finishing up his homework early. He had Quidditch practice soon. Aaron had been pushing them non-stop for the first few weeks of the school year. The Hufflepuff-Slytherin match was the Quidditch season opener and it was only a few more weeks away. If Hufflepuff would have _any _shot then it would need to train longer, harder, and tougher than the Slytherin team.

Teddy sighed when he remembered he also had a prefects meeting later that day. He would need to take a quick shower before racing back to the castle if he wanted to only be ten minutes late. It was going to be one of _those _days.

Teddy's mind was still wandering, far from the History of Magic homework in front of him, when he saw Christian exiting the dorm room. He was wearing his best shirt with his favorite pair of jeans. Teddy would have bet anything that he was wearing his lucky underwear as well.

"Hey Christian where you heading off to looking so spiffy?" asked Teddy although he knew full well where Christian was headed to.

"Oh it's Monday, so you know, Wizard's Chess Club today" he replied after seeing Teddy.

"So you're all dressed up to go to a club meeting?" asked Teddy with a sly grin.

"Well yeah that and…some other things" he answered hesitantly.

"Oh ok" replied Teddy. Unable to help himself, he continued talking. "Does this _other thing _take the shape of a third-year Gryffindor by the name of Emily?"

Christian paused before looking at Teddy.

"Is it that obvious?" sighed Christian, taking a seat next to Teddy.

"It's ok Christian. I see you two talking in the hallways all the time. Not to mention that you swivel in your seat every few seconds during meals to look at the Gryffindor Table" laughed Teddy.

"Yeah…so what do you think? We don't have a Hogsmeade trip coming up for a while so I was thinking about asking her to a walk around the lake" responded Christian, ignoring Teddy's joke. He seemed to have more important things on his mind.

"You're getting all dressed up to ask a girl, who is probably crazy about you, to a walk around the lake? Being a bit formal there Romeo?" asked Teddy.

"Romeo? Isn't that a character from one of the muggle plays Taylor reads? You really need to make some more friends if you're going to start repeating what we say" laughed Christian, seemingly less nervous.

"Yeah you're probably right, all my close friends now are fairly dumb and ugly. It's a really a shame" countered Teddy while leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah you're a great friend all right" said Christian. He looked at his watch and then stood up, saying he needed to leave now if he didn't want to be late to his own club. Teddy watched as he played with his hair in the reflection from the window. He started to move his collar and check his breathe before Teddy had to put a stop to it.

"Seriously Christian, stop stalling, you look _fine_. Just ask her before the meeting starts so you're not so nervous for an entire hour" replied Teddy, trying to reassure his friend.

"Ok I'll see you later Teddy, I gots to go put my _moves_ on!" replied Christian while flexing his average-at-best biceps.

"Yeah good luck with that" responded Teddy after laughing so hard he almost tipped over his own chair.

Christian was many things; funny, smart, and loyal to name a few, but one thing he was surely _not_ was a womanizer. If he was going to ask Emily to a trip around the lake then Teddy knew he must _really _like her.

As Christian was about to leave the common room, Teddy decided he should be a bit more supportive to his best mate.

"Hey, Christian!"

"Yeah?" replied Christian, turning around at common room entrance.

"Good luck… seriously"

Christian paused before showing a small smile on his face.

"Thanks mate"

Teddy noticed how Christian walked out of the Hufflepuff Common Room with a bit more confidence, something he should try more often.

After telling Victoire his side of the story, Victoire replied at how Emily seemed just as nervous before leaving.

"I'll have to ask Christian how it went when we get back" stated Teddy. He hoped it went well, Christian deserved it.

"Yeah, I'll ask Emily too" replied Victoire.

The two students had arrived at the Great Staircase. They quickly decided to climb to the topmost floor in order to reach their favorite spot in the castle.

After climbing up the many flights of stairs, Teddy and Victoire arrived at the Astronomy Tower. While staring out into the storm, bolts of lightning streaked the darkness and the heavy rain pounded the roof of the tower.

"So what about you? Anything interesting happen today?" asked Victoire, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Nothing besides classes and practice really. I did have a prefects meeting today. Oh, you should have seen Amber's impersonation of Professor Vomis! It was hilarious. She got the face perfect! Almost better than I could have done it."

"That does sound funny" replied Victoire although she didn't laugh, or even grin. "Amber is my sixth year prefect right?"

"Yeah she has auburn hair. It goes down to about here" replied Teddy while pointing to a spot under his shoulder blades. "You've probably seen her around."

"Oh, ok. So what did you guys do during your prefects meeting?" asked Victoire, ignoring Teddy's description of Amber.

"Oh, well we just came up with our new patrolling schedules. I don't have patrol duty for another couple of weeks or so, right before our first Hogsmeade trip."

"Who are you patrolling with? Taylor?" asked Victoire, still staring out at the darkened Hogwarts grounds.

"Nah, prefects from the same House rarely patrol together. Claire Reeves, she's the Ravenclaw Head Girl in case you don't remember, wants prefects from differing Houses to spend as much time together as possible. Says it builds up House relations or something. Anyway, I'm patrolling with Amber that night."

Victoire responded with a simple ok before continuing to stare out over the grounds. The pair settled into another long silence, lost in thought while watching the lighting illuminate the lake and parts of the forbidden forest.

Teddy decided now was as good a time as ever to show Victoire her surprise.

"Hey Victoire, you want to see something cool?"

"Yeah sure, you going to tell me why you've been hiding that piece of parchment for the past few hours?" asked Victoire nonchalantly.

"You knew the whole time?" asked Teddy dumbfounded.

"Of course I did, I'm not as dumb as you look" responded Victoire.

"You know I just might not show you" answered Teddy. He knew he was bluffing. She knew it too.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, so what is it? A list of secrets or something?"

"Oh no, my fair lady, this is something _much _better, I present to you…the one…the only… the Marauders' Map!" announced Teddy before taking the blank map out of his pocket.

"Looks like a piece of parchment I threw away yesterday" yawned Victoire, clearly unimpressed.

"Oh really? I solemnly swear I am up to no good." No sooner had Teddy finished the sentence than the blank piece of parchment transformed into the greatest map either of them had ever seen.

Victoire stared at the map for a few seconds before speaking up.

"Wow, so it shows the entire Hogwarts grounds?" asked Victoire amazed.

"Yup, these are secret passages and these moving dots show the residents of the castle. This is Filch's dot, he's near the Gryffindor Tower and that is Mrs. Norris Jr. Looks like she is prowling on the fifth floor. Claire and Taylor are on duty tonight and it seems their near the Hufflepuff Dungeons."

"That's awesome. Where did you get this?"

"Don't you remember?" asked Teddy teasingly.

"No, I think I would remember seeing this before" retorted Victoire.

"You don't remember my Godfather handing it to me on platform 9 ¾?"

Teddy watched as the memory of her Uncle Harry leading Teddy away on the platform for the Express come rushing back to her.

"But why did he hand it to you?" she asked after quite some time.

"My Father was one of the original Marauders, so was Harry's Dad and Godfather."

Teddy and Victoire had walked out of the Astronomy Tower as they talked and found themselves in a corridor on one of the upper floors of the castle.

"So do we need to look out for Filch right now?" asked Victoire.

"No, he keeps a pretty strict pattern. He was near the Gryffindor Tower so he'll stay in that area for a while. I recognized the pattern after a while."

No sooner had Teddy uttered the words then he heard a soft meow from farther down the corridor. While squinting through the darkness, a bolt of lightning momentarily illuminated the dark corridor and he spotted the dark brown fur of Mrs. Norris Jr.

"Oh crap! We need to get out of here!" yelled Teddy before grabbing Victoire's hand and running in the opposite direction.

They sprinted down the corridor, down the next flight of stairs and into an abandoned room. As soon as they entered the room, Victoire turned on Teddy.

"You said you knew their patrolling habits!" hissed Victoire.

"I said I knew Filch's pattern, I didn't learn the patrolling pattern of his _cat_!"countered Teddy.

Teddy noticed how Victoire hadn't let go of his hand from when he had grabbed it running from Mrs. Norris Jr. He also noticed Victoire had peeked her head out of the room door while still gripping his hand firmly.

Teddy checked the map and noticed that Filch and Mrs. Norris Jr. were at both ends of this corridor. We better stay put realized Teddy.

After checking his map for the caretaker and his evil pet, his thoughts returned to the soft hand in his grip. He noticed how much softer Victoire's hand was than his own. Years of gripping his broom stick and catching countless Quaffles had left his hands callused. Teddy didn't mind, though, calluses were the mark of a man who knew how to use his hands well.

As Teddy was still thinking about the softness of Victoire's hand in his own, she seemed to realize how firmly she was gripping his hand. After a quick look at the joined hand, she gently let her hand slide out of his grip.

Victoire and Teddy didn't speak for a few minutes after this interaction. It wasn't anything similar to the comfortable silence they had shared before. Trying to break the stillness, Teddy decided to inspect the room now serving as their hideout.

"Lumos" muttered Teddy.

He didn't recognize the room they were in. He didn't usually come to this area of the castle. It looked like a normal empty classroom. As he walked toward the center of the high-ceilinged room, however, he noticed there was a stone block sitting in the middle.

As he approached the block, he could feel Victoire following him towards the center of the room. As he drew near the stone block he saw that it wasn't smooth as he once thought. It looked as if it had been painstakingly restored through hundreds of smaller shards.

"What is it?" asked Victoire in soft whisper. As she spoke Teddy heard the clap of thunder in the background. It seemed the storm had not yet passed.

Teddy didn't reply, instead he rubbed his palm over the uneven surface. It wasn't a block he soon realized, but the base of a column. He saw that the cracks in the base were small. Each piece seemed to fit perfectly together, except for one space near the right corner of the top of the stone block. There was a gap in the stone, like a single piece was still missing.

As he stared at the gap in the stone block, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen the stone piece that fit there. He knew he had never seen this base before, but he could have sworn he felt a stone shard with the same texture. He knew, however unlikely, that he had held the shard that was missing from this stone.

"I don't know, we've been wandering these halls for years now, but we've never come across this before" replied Teddy after some time.

"You think it means it just got here?" whispered Victoire softly

"Could be" answered Teddy just as soft.

Teddy checked the map and noticed that Filch and Mrs. Norris Jr. had moved on and were patrolling the third floor together.

"Come on, let's head back, it'll be daylight out soon."

As Teddy and Victoire walked back to Gryffindor Tower, Teddy racked his brain for the memory of when he had held the stone shard. He also wondered where the block had come from and why it meant so much to him. It just looked like a broken stone base for a column.

He said goodbye to Victoire at the portrait of the fat lady and walked back to the Hufflepuff Dungeon lost in thought. Before he entered the dungeon corridor he gazed out the window. The storm had passed and he saw the sun rising over the horizon. Its powerful rays bouncing off the dew on the lawn. He could feel his hair turning back to its normal blue, severing his connection to his Father and strengthening the connection to his Mother.

Trying to ignore the feeling that the memory was just at the edge of his consciousness, he entered the Hufflepuff Common Room and went to the fifth year dormitories. He could still catch a couple of hours of sleep before today's classes.

Teddy climbed into his bed, still fully dressed, and fell straight asleep. Between classes, prefect meetings, and running from Filch, it had been a _long _day.

**Sorry it took so long to update. I really wanted to get this chapter right. Hope I did a good job (fingers crossed)**

**Next chapter will be the first Hogsmeade trip right before Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin.**

**Victoire POV**

**Good Chapter? Bad Chapter? Leave a review. I NEED feedback! **


	10. Hogsmeade

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**Thank you to ALL readers and, as always, an especially huge THANK YOU to ALL REVIEWERS!**

**On a side note, I have realized that during the transition from Microsoft Word to the fanfiction site some grammatical errors appear. If it appears that a word is cut off or just missing, I insist it's not my fault. Although if there is a comma missing or something then it's probably my bad.**

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

"Well of course Mr. Minister, I would just LOVE to be the official chocolate taster for England! And yes Mr. Godric Gryffindor, this _IS _a new dress, it's so kind of you to notice!" muttered Emily sleepily through her pillow.

_Wish I had that dream _thought Victoire fondly, sporting a grin while looking at her raven-haired friend.

Ignoring the impulse to wake her friend with a one-sided pillow fight, she got up and started to get ready for the weekend.

It was the first Hogsmeade trip of the year today! Victoire had been practically shaking with excitement the night before. Stories of Honeydukes, the Shrieking Shack, and Dervish and Banges had flooded her ears for years now. Teddy had returned from Hogsmeade the past two years with amazing stories of the wizard village. Now it was _her_ turn to see the hundreds of color-coded owls at the post office, _her_ turn to down butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks, and it was _her _turn to sneak into the Hog's Head.

Nothing could ruin today for Victoire. Nothing.

Victoire, still feeling giddy that Hogsmeade was only but a few hours away, took her morning shower and got dressed before heading down to the common room to wait for Emily to wake up. She walked down the dormitory steps expecting to see groups of first and second years getting ready to spend a long day at stuck on the Hogwarts grounds.

As she descended the steps, however, she didn't see any first or second years, but only two girls sitting at one of the far tables of the common room.

Victoire remembered vaguely that the first girl was Robin something. It was the second girl that grabbed Victoire's full attention. She had no trouble recognizing the pretty girl with long auburn hair and striking blue eyes.

That girl was Amber Noble.

Victoire saw the pretty girl look over at her, flash a smile that was obviously fake, before turning back to her friend and begin whispering. Victoire walked over to one of the easy chairs and stared out over the lake. Her mind began to ponder the riddle that was Amber Noble.

When Victoire first sat down at the Gryffindor Table, the night of her sorting, she had sat down next to the pretty fourth-year. Amber had congratulated her and even told her some stories to help her nerves. She claimed she had tripped no less than five times during her sorting, a Hogwarts record! Victoire didn't know if it was true, but she laughed along with the rest of the first years. It did help her nerves.

During the rest of her first year, Amber had acted as sort of a big sister to all the female first years. Victoire had always played big sister her entire life. Whether to Dominique or her cousins Lily and Rose, she always needed to be in control and set an example. It felt good to have someone lead her for once, especially in a place as imposing at Hogwarts.

Amber would show them which showers always pumped warm water, where the best places were to study, and even lead them to their class if they were lost.

If a girl was feeling overwhelmed, Amber was always ready with a hand and a story. When one girl hadn't been able to use a growth charm last year, Amber calmed her down and told her a story about her second year Charms class. She said she had been so nervous to try growth charms for the first time she had totally missed the cup she was aiming for and instead made a Ravenclaw boy grow ear hair down to his toes. Again, Victoire wasn't sure if the story was true or not, but it helped the girl and everyone enjoyed a laugh.

It was at the beginning of this year that something changed. Amber noticed the change right after the prefect's meeting on the train.

Amber would still tell stories and comfort all the younger girls. All the younger girls except Victoire for that is. She was already ready to help Emily or her other dorm mates with their homework, but she never offered to Victoire anymore. She still flashed her smiles from across the common room, but they didn't talk anymore and Amber felt more distant, colder.

What really bothered her about Amber was what had happened two weeks ago.

TVTVTVTVTVTVTVT

Victoire had been walking back from a particularly difficult transfiguration lesson when she passed a Slytherin boy in one of the narrower corridors in the castle. She was carrying her bag full of books and was still fuming about the lesson when they passed. She didn't know the boy and was more than ready to just ignore him and move on. That was before he opened his big mouth of course.

"Hey sweet cheeks, looking for a way to blow off some steam?" asked the boy through his crooked smirk.

It took her exactly a half a second to reach inside her robes, grab her wand, drop her bag, and curse the boy relentlessly. She knew he hadn't really done anything, but it did feel good to let some frustration go.

First, she hit him with the levitation spell. This caused him to rocket up near the ceiling of the corridor. While he was still airborne, she hit him with her personal favorite, the stag hex. This made the Slytherin grow huge deer antlers. As it was a narrow hallway and the boy was still a good six feet in the air, he became instantly suspended by the antlers, kicking his legs widely, trying to dislodge himself.

With Victoire's luck, a prefect had been walking near the corridor when the Slytherin had started shouting profanities at the laughing third-year Gryffindor. After looking up at the suspended antlered-boy in green lined robes, the prefect, who was none other than Amber Noble, found Victoire smiling up at her handiwork. Her smile faded when she saw Amber's unusually stern face.

"Detention Ms. Weasley" announced Amber. Victoire didn't expect Amber to have her trademark light and airy voice, but she definitely wasn't expecting the harsh, business-like voice that Amber used. She had _never _heard that before.

Victoire was obviously upset she had detention, but she didn't really blame Amber.

You couldn't _always _get away with growing antlers on a Slytherin.

Amber had to give Victoire something and one detention with no points taken away couldn't be _that _bad.

She was forced to serve her detention the same day. As luck would have, it was a full moon that night. It was going to be one of _those _nights sighed Victoire on her walk down to the Herbology Greenhouses.

Victoire headed down to the grounds to serve her detention with Professor Longbottom, her Head of House. She was told to perform the delightful task of re-planting several _Mimbulus mimbletonia_.

About an hour and a half into her detention, her hands and arms coated in Stinksap, the door to the greenhouse opened. Victoire looked up to see that it was Amber entering the greenhouse with a stack of parchments in her hands.

She claimed she needed to have Professor Longbottom sign a few forms for the prefect meeting that was starting soon. It must have been routine prefect forms as Professor Longbottom took no time in beginning to sign them. As he worked through the stack of papers, Victoire could feel Amber's gaze on her.

While feigning an attempt to search for a new pot to put the latest _Mimbulus mimbletonia _in, Victoire was able to see Amber in the corner of her eye.

Amber had an expression Victoire had never before seen on her flawless features. Her blue eyes were slightly narrowed and her jaw held tight. It was look she had seen many times before on her Aunt Ginny's face. She used it when she was sizing up an opponent on the Quidditch pitch. It was the look one gave to an adversary, not a thirteen year old girl in detention.

Amber disappeared as quickly as she appeared and Victoire was left in silence for the next few hours. After accidentally poking one of the boils on the gray-colored cactus and receiving a face full of Stinksap, Professor Longbottom let her go. Still nursing her burning forearms, and trying to ignore the smell radiating off her, she walked out of the greenhouse. As she was closing the door behind her she heard Professor Longbottom shout that it may have been easier if you stroked the plant first, lowering its defenses. Then it wouldn't release so much Stinksap.

_Great! That would have been helpful about three hours ago Professor LENGTHYARSE! _thought Victoire furiously.

Still fuming about her detention and still puzzled by what Amber had done, she decided to stall going back into the castle. She didn't want to start yelling at Emily or someone who didn't deserve it. She also definitely didn't want to run into Amber just yet.

She walked around until she arrived at Hagrid's Hut, her second favorite spot at Hogwarts. The Astronomy Tower would always hold that top spot. Perhaps only the Astronomy Professor had spent as many hours at the top of that tower as Teddy and Victoire. Between walks in the corridor, they would spend hours gazing at the full moon while standing at the tower's peak.

She found Hagrid training some Nifflers and feeding the Occamy. Loving the opportunity to learn about magical creatures usually reserved for fourth years, she helped Hagrid with his training of the Nifflers. It wasn't difficult as it was in their nature to hunt out treasure and it helped pass the time. They were extremely affectionate, nuzzling Victoire with their wet snouts before returning to their training. The same couldn't be said about the Occamy.

After many scratches and newfound respect for the plumed creature, Victoire bid Hagrid farewell and headed back up to the castle. She had lost track of time and, if she hurried, she would be just on time for her meeting with Teddy. After sniffing her forearm, and fighting the gag reflex, she decided to take a shower _before _meeting Teddy. Just before entering the castle she turned and saw the sun still barely peeking above the horizon, throwing its now faint light over the lake and the rest of the grounds.

TVTVTVTVTVTVTVT

Victoire was shaken out of her thoughts by Emily plopping down on the opposite side of the couch. She had her black hair straightened down to past her shoulders. She was wearing her favorite light green shirt that matched her eyes and her favorite white skirt.

Victoire had to admit she looked beautiful. Better than Victoire anyways, who was wearing her torn jeans and an old red shirt she found at the bottom of her trunk. Her normally wavy blond hair was tied back in a bun.

"Why are you so dressed up today?" asked Victoire while nudging Emily playfully.

"Well if you _must _know, _I _have a hot date," replied Emily with a grin of her own.

"Oh, you're cheating on Christian already? That was fast."

"You _know _I'm talking about Christian, stop being such a troll," Emily laughed.

"So are you still meeting up with us at the entrance?"

"Yeah I'll go down with you and meet up with Teddy, Taylor, Chase and Christian. Christian and I are going to head down to Hogsmeade by ourselves though; he said he wanted some private time first."

Victoire had to restrain herself from asking about Emily's relationship with Christian. By the end of the day, she would know one way or the other anyway.

The common room burst into activity soon after. Victoire watched as there was a flurry of activity as student trampled up and down the dormitory steps and were streaming in and out of the common room portal. After the minor stampede had finished, Victoire noticed that Robin was still sitting at the same table in the common room, but Amber was absent.

Brushing the thought from her mind she turned back to Emily who apparently had been talking the entire time she had let her mind wander.

"Did you hear _anything_ I said?" asked Emily

"Yeah you said…that we should…leave…now?" replied Victoire slowly.

"Ok lucky guess, but come on let's go. I want to meet up with Christian."

Victoire smiled at her friend. She again had to bite down on her tongue to keep from asking about her relationship with the fifth-year Hufflepuff.

Victoire and Emily soon left for the Entrance Hall. The trip was uneventful and they soon appeared outside the Great Doors. The pair of third-year Gryffindors sat down at one of the many benches to wait for their friends.

A little while later they saw Chase, Taylor, and Christian approach. Chase and Taylor both gave light hugs to the girls.

Christian also gave Victoire a light hug, but then turned and hugged Emily with much more enthusiasm. She saw Emily sneak a quick peck on the cheek before they slid their hands together. She decided not to mention it just yet.

Victoire talked to Chase and Taylor while Emily and Christian became lost in their own little world. They didn't wait long, however, as they saw Teddy walking down towards them. Teddy, however, wasn't alone.

Walking by his side was a laughing, and beautiful, Amber Noble. Her auburn hair was flowing perfectly in the light breeze and the sunlight only made her blue eyes more impressive. She was wearing a light blue sun dress that made her pretty face seem even more beautiful.

Victoire looked down and noticed she had sat down in owl droppings.

"Hey guys" announced Teddy when he arrived. Amber stood by his side and was flashed a brilliant smile filled with perfect, white teeth, but remained silent for the moment. "Amber's friends didn't want to make the trip to Hogsmeade so she asked if she could come during yesterday's prefect patrol."

The five students remained silent for a brief moment. None of them had expected a seventh member to their group.

"Hey Teddy…Amber" spoke Taylor while nodding towards Amber. She obviously knew the auburn haired Gryffindor prefect.

Emily, Chase, and Christian soon followed with their own greeting, but Victoire simply nodded towards her best friend and his companion.

After a few minutes of talk, and a joke from Amber that everyone but Victoire thought was hilarious, Emily and Christian announced they were going to go on ahead and that they would meet up with them at Hogsmeade.

After a few more minutes the remaining five students also headed down the long path towards the wizards' village.

Chase and Taylor lead the group, engaged in another one of their mini-arguments. Chase said that reading novels was useless compared to Quidditch, a sport that trained the body and the mind. Taylor, an avid romance and classic horror novel reader, obviously disagreed. Victoire was more than used to this by now. If Chase and Taylor _didn't _argue, then she would be worried.

Following was Teddy, Amber, and Victoire. Amber and Teddy were laughing about something that happened during their last prefect meeting. Victoire, feeling out of loop, fell behind a step and followed her friends.

With all her friends otherwise engaged she glanced at the Quidditch pitch they were passing. She could just make out a blue clad boy in Quidditch robes flying around the pitch.

Victoire walked in silence behind her friends. She could hear Amber and Teddy exchanging jokes in front of her, but didn't feel the slightest like joining in. The glances she had been receiving from Amber all day were more than enough to tell her that she wasn't welcome.

After what seemed an eternity, the group of five, or to Victoire the group of 2-2-1, arrived at Hogsmeade. They saw Emily and Christian leaning against the gate leading into the town. They were holding hands and were apparently whispering while they stared into each other eyes. When they saw their friends approach, they stopped leaning against the fence, but kept holding hands.

When the group of seven, or now 2-2-2-1, came together, Christian cleared his throat, apparently to make an announcement.

"Just spit it out" demanded Chase, who was already used to Christian's unnecessary formalities. He thus received a sharp elbowing to the ribs from Taylor soon after.

"I just wanted to say that Emily and I are now a couple" he announced with a smile. The other teenagers looked confused though.

"Yeah we know, but what's the announcement?" asked Teddy after looking at his friends for a second.

"That was it," replied Christian. Emily was blushing herself silly next to him and refused to look Victoire in the eye.

"You announced that you were dating now? I thought you were dating for weeks." replied Chase.

"I thought you were dating last Tuesday when you held hands outside of Charms," added Taylor.

"No wait, I thought you were dating…" began Teddy before being cut off by Christian.

"No…well…whatever, we're officially dating now" exclaimed Christian, tiring of his friends questions.

Teddy and Chase, the great friends that they are, lost no time in tormenting their best friend.

"Oh they're _officially _dating now! We should make signs and everything" laughed Teddy.

"Ah, my wittle Chwistywimples is fwinally all growd up! How cute!" spoke Chase in his best, and worst, motherly voice. He also pinched both of Christian's cheeks relentlessly. 

This did give Victoire enough of a distraction to talk to her fellow Gryffindor.

"So your _boyfriend _is a bit formal eh?" asked Victoire through her grin.

"Oh shut it, he always acts formal when he gets nervous. When he asked if I wanted to be his girlfriend he did this sort of half bow thing" replied Emily, blushing when she said girlfriend. "Well I think it's cute!" she added when Victoire burst out laughing. "He's get all befuddled, it's so…charming."

"Yeah, charming is definitely the word I would use" grinned Victoire before receiving a smack on her arm.

Emily ignored her last comment, except for the smack of course, but walked back over to Christian and took his hand. She also gave him a small peck on the lips.

This of course led to a new round of abuse from Christian friends. Only Taylor seriously congratulated Christian and Emily. Amber was quiet most of this time, she just stood by Teddy and laughed at his teasing.

After many wolf whistles, mostly from Teddy and Chase, who were both sporting huge grins, the group walked into the town. While Amber was congratulating Emily again, Victoire finally had an opening to talk to Teddy. He was wearing his blue hair a little longer today than normal and he had a huge smile on his face.

"So how is your first Hogsmeade visit so far? Keep in mind we haven't actually _done _anything yet" he laughed.

"It's good" she lied. Honestly, she felt more like the third wheel. "So what are we doing today anyway?"

"Well, we'll probably just go to The Three Broomsticks or something and stop by the Shrieking Shack. Nothing too strenuous, big day tomorrow after all."

Victoire remembered that tomorrow was the Quidditch season opener, Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin. This game would normally be written off as a blowout. In recent years though, the Hufflepuff team had been showing strength. So much so, that most of the school would be filling the seats for the Badgers/Snakes match.

"Well we wouldn't want to strain Hufflepuff's star Keeper now would we?" asked Victoire jokingly.

Teddy laughed as well. It was during his laugh that Amber turned around. When she saw Victoire and Teddy talking she walked back over to stand by Teddy's side.

"Hey Teddy, want to go check out Dervish and Banges?" asked Amber while flashing a smile.

"Um…yeah sure, we'll meet you guys over at The Three Broomsticks later ok?" he announced to Victoire and the rest of the students.

Amber then latched on to his arm and practically marched him towards to the small shop at the other end of Hogsmeade.

Victoire followed her friends into Honeydukes. She was soon overwhelmed. The shelves were absolutely packed with colors and aromas she had never seen or smelled before. The shop was lined wall to wall with sweets of every variety that any thirteen girl could imagine.

She watched as Emily dragged Christian over to the chocolate section, her eyes widening in excitement. Emily had a notorious sweet tooth for chocolate. Taylor and Chase made their way over to the toffee section, everything thing from rainbow toffees (they actually made your hair turn rainbow colored) to salmon toffees (not salmon _flavored _but they would flop on the floor if you dropped them). Victoire made her way over to special tastes section, her mind racing with all of the uses of the lava hard candy.

Victoire became so lost in the candy-filled maze she forgot just how miserable her trip had started. She was happy for Emily, but she didn't need to feel like an outcast in her own group of friends. Eventually, the group all paid for their treats and, after stuffing them in their pockets, headed out back into town. Chase and Taylor said they were going to check out Weasley Wizards' Wheezes while Christian was dragged by Emily toward Madam Puddifoot's.

This left Victoire standing in the middle of the road, completely by herself. She wasn't in the mood to enter a joke shop and she _definitely _wasn't going to Madam Puddifoot's with Emily and Christian.

She sighed before heading off to the Shrieking Shack. It was on the other side of town, far away from both Madam Puddifoot's and her uncle's store. After the five minute walk, the Shrieking Shack appeared in front of Victoire.

Her first thought of seeing the dilapidated, solitary building was not that it seemed frightening, but it seemed…lonely.

Victoire realized that she wasn't just frustrated, she too was… _lonely_. For her entire life she had always been surrounded by her huge family. Even when Teddy had gone to school, she still had family. When she at school, she always had Teddy and Emily. Now Emily was involved with a Hufflepuff fifth-year and Teddy was spending all his time with Amber.

She felt stupid for admitting it, if even only to herself. She wasn't eleven anymore, she shouldn't feel so isolated just because her friends had met new people. She was happy for Emily and she knew Teddy would meet lots of new people as a prefect. Then why did she feel like the outcast, the odd one out? If all her friends had moved new people, why hadn't she? Who was left for her?

Victoire stared at the shack for a while, trying to get a grip on herself. She knew she was acting stupid, but she couldn't shake the feeling her friends were moving on without her. They were meeting new people, having new experiences, while she was still feeling the same way she did when she was eleven.

"You know, they say it's so haunted not even the Hogwarts ghosts go near it" explained a voice behind Victoire.

Victoire, thinking she had been alone, gracefully spun around too fast and full in the mud near the bottom of the fence. Trying to wipe the mud that had joined the bird droppings, she didn't realize her attacker had offered a helping hand. After a few more seconds she looked up and took the hand offered her. He easily picked her off the ground and onto to her feet. She could feel the strength in his arm.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you like that" apologized her assailant. Victoire finally had a good look at his face.

He was a good height, a little shorter than Teddy, with shaggy brown hair. He had soft green eyes and a _very _handsome tanned face. Victoire could see that muscles were clearly hinted under his tight shirt and she could see the muscles in both his arms. His blue shirt was clad with a large bronze eagle on the chest. She also noticed that he carried blue Quidditch robes under his left arm.

"I wasn't scared, just surprised" she retorted more harshly than necessary. She wasn't having a great day.

"My mistake. I'm Jake by the way. Jake Merriman."

"I'm Victoire. Victoire Weasley" she replied slowly.

"Weasley? Do you know Ginny Weasley?" asked Jake while moving to lean on the fence beside Victoire.

"Yeah she's my Aunt" replied Victoire.

"Really? You don't look anything like her."

"Yeah, I take after my Mother." answered Victoire, still not sure where the conversation was leading.

"She must be a beautiful woman then."

Whatever Victoire had been expecting, it hadn't been a bold compliment.

"Well…thanks…I guess. How do you know my Aunt Ginny?" asked Victoire. As far as she knew, her Aunt had never mentioned a Jake Merriman.

"Well, I don't, not really. I met her once when I was six. I won a contest at Quality Quidditch Supplies. I got to watch a Holyhead Harpies/Puddlemere United match with a retired player. It was Ginny Weasley, your aunt I guess. She was incredible, knew what the Chasers were going to do three plays before they did it. She's the reason I became a Chaser" finished Jake, still leaning on the fence.

"I could ask if she remembers you if you want. I was going to write a letter to her today anyway" replied Victoire, feeling guilty she had snapped at him earlier.

"No that's alright, I'm pretty sure she remembers me" he said with a small smile.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well I was probably the only fan she saw wet himself up close and personal" he laughed.

Despite feeling so bad moments earlier, a small laugh escaped Victoire's lips.

"Hey, in my defense, I drank a lot of water before I met her" he added.

"I'm sure you did" laughed Victoire, feeling better than she had in hours.

"Hey, you want to go check out the post office. I always think the Shrieking Shack is a bit depressing."

"Yeah, let's go" agreed Victoire. The Shrieking Shack had certainly not helped her mood.

Victoire and Jake turned and started the walk back up into town. She was surprised how easy it was to talk to Jake, it was like talking to Teddy. After a friendly debate on exactly which was more useful, a shrinking charm or a growth charm, they re-entered the wizard village.

As Victoire was about to follow Jake into the post office, she peered down the street and could just make out the entrance to The Three Broomsticks. First she saw Chase and Taylor enter, followed shortly by Christian and Emily. She then saw the trademark blue-hair of her best friend approach the door next to a pretty auburn haired girl. She could see Teddy look inside the pub before pulling his head down and searching the streets with a frown on his face.

Victoire was standing slightly in the opening of the door, obscured from the rest of the village. She watched as Amber touched Teddy's arm before nodding towards the still open door. Amber walked inside and a few moments later Teddy reluctantly followed.

"Hey, you coming in? I can see a giant owl I _need _to get a better look at."

"Yeah," and after remembering the long walk to Hogsmeade and the trip to the Shrieking Shack, "I have nowhere else to be" she replied before following Jake into the post office and closing the door softly behind her.

TVTVTVTVTVTVTVT

**Thank You to all readers and a preemptive THANK YOU to all reviewers! FEEDBACK IS VITAL! Comments or questions are greatly appreciated!**

**Love it? Hate it? Somewhere in Between? **

**Next Chapter is Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin, TPOV **


	11. Hufflepuff vs Slytherin

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**Priestpotter:**

**THANK YOU for all the reviews! Keep them coming! I NEED feedback. **

**READ AND REVIEW**

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

_Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin_

_Badgers vs. Snakes_

_Yellow and Black vs. Silver and Green_

No matter how Teddy thought about it, he just couldn't get it out of his mind. He had played Slytherin twice before, sure, but those matches paled in comparison to the competitive battle that approached him.

It was the night after his Hogsmeade trip, or more accurately, the very early morning before his Quidditch match. Teddy was wandering the dark corridors of Hogwarts. He could still view the waxing moon outside the large windows of the castle although the sky was beginning to lighten. In less than a half hour it would be daylight out and it would be that much closer to Teddy making the long trek down the Quidditch pitch.

Ever since he had returned from his Hogsmeade trip with his friends, he hadn't been able to shake the thoughts of his upcoming match from his mind. The trip to the wizard village had helped edge the match from his thoughts for most of the day, but when he attempted to find sleep that night, they had rushed back.

Their Quidditch game against Slytherin was more than just important. No words could describe how much depended on this game for Teddy and his teammates. It would easily be the biggest game of their career.

Almost half of his team was Seventh Years. If Hufflepuff would any chance whatsoever of making a run for the Quidditch cup, however remote the possibility was, then it would have to be this year. That run would have to start _today_.

This was the reason Teddy had walked the shadowed Hogwarts corridors for the better part of the night. He hadn't met any trouble though. He had taken the Marauder's Map with him and was careful to avoid Filch or any patrols. It wasn't a full moon either, so Teddy still had the full control of his abilities. This meant he could take certain…precautions.

For tonight, these precautions took the shape of Professor Cameron Wispen. For Teddy, it made the most sense. The _real _Professor Cameron would be asleep in his office, far from the hallways of the castle that Teddy walked. Also, if Teddy accidentally ran into the prefect patrols or Filch, he would be disguised as a professor and had every right to walk the corridors. If for any reason he _was _interrogated, Professor Wispen was his Head of House so he could play the role convincingly.

It was completely…one hundred percent…utterly…absolutely…_fool proof_.

Teddy noticed the third-floor hallway seemed to appear getting brighter. He peered out the closest window and saw the sun peeking just over the horizon. He had spent hours walking the hallways, completely immersed in his angst over the upcoming match.

Teddy decided to head back to the common room, he knew he wouldn't get any rest, but maybe his friends could calm his nerves. He knew Chase was probably going through the same thing as he was.

Checking his map for any sign of Filch on his route to the dungeons, he saw something odd on the map. There appeared to be a new dot, one that definitely hadn't been there before.

He checked the map closer and realized that the dot appeared to be in the room that housed the stone column. The same room that seemingly drew Teddy towards it during the full moon.

Teddy had begun to walk faster at this point, speeding down the hallway.

The dot wasn't moving around the room, however. It was standing completely still, just to the side of the center of the room. That meant it either didn't realize the stone column was in the room or it familiar enough with it to not have to investigate.

He squinted hard into the map to try and read the tiny name that had appeared over the dot.

Teddy was practically running down the hallway at this point. He was staring hard into the map, trying to read the tiny bubble on its surface. Teddy didn't see the man holding a package that had just turned the corner.

Teddy and the stranger collided with a large thud. The breathe was instantly knocked out of him as he fell back down to the floor. He saw the other man fall back as well. After regaining his senses, Teddy, still sitting on the cold corridor floor, looked at the man he had just collided with.

_There is no way I can be THAT unlucky _thought Teddy sadly.

Seated in front of Teddy was the _real _Professor Wispen. He watched as the Defense Against the Defense Arts professor attempted to fix his robes and pick up his package from the floor before looking up at his attacker.

Teddy meanwhile, stuffed the Marauder's Map into his pocket. He hoped his Professor didn't see the flash of white. For a moment he thought he had, but instead he looked up into the _Teddy _Cameron Wispen's face.

He watched as his look turned from one of annoyance, to one of shock and confusion. After an eternity, or perhaps a few seconds, a small smile appeared on the face of his favorite professor.

"Ted Lupin?" asked Professor Wispen, the small smile still on his face.

"Yeah" replied Teddy sheepishly. "How'd you know?"

"Well, I figured I had just run into, literally, one of four different scenarios. One, someone was impersonating an aging professor with a Polyjuice potion. I figured this couldn't be it because anyone who would want to impersonate me for an _entire _hour would have to be crazy and I hadn't met any crazy people in a little while."

"Two, it was really _ME _that had gone crazy and I had just walked headfirst into a mirror. I guess this means I really _had _met a crazy person, but since I can't impersonate myself, it's really a moot point."

"Three, I just collided with a long lost twin. This seemed unlikely because I have never met _anyone _with a long lost twin and the odds he would be in Hogwarts as well were pretty low. I also don't know why he would be wearing Hufflepuff pajamas."

"This leads to the fourth, and most likely, scenario that one of my more gifted students used his Metamorphmagus abilities to look like his incredibly dashing Defense Against the Dark Arts professor" finished Professor Wispen smiling at Teddy, who still looked like his DADA professor. Professor Wispen had risen to his feet and reached out a hand to Teddy who was still sitting on the floor with his mouth hanging slightly open.

After Teddy collected himself, he gladly accepted the hand and allowed Professor Wispen to pull him to his feet. He was surprised by the strength of his professor. He knew he had been a professional Keeper so he was probably still in decent shape.

"You thought of all that in those few seconds?" asked Teddy bewildered. In those few seconds only one thought had passed _his _mind. That thought was the word _damn _repeated a hundred times. Not exactly intelligent.

"Well, I am your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, thank you very much. It's my job to deduct fast conclusions and plan ahead. Although that blow I received from your elbow considerably slowed me down" he added, rubbing his temples. He put his hands down before putting a small smile on his features.

If someone had approached the scene, they would have been thoroughly shocked. Standing in one of the corridors on the second floor were two Professor Wispens. One had on official Hogwarts staff robes and was wearing a small smile while the other was wearing Hufflepuff pajamas and was looking rather sheepish.

"Now" begun Professor Wispen "may I ask _why _you are in a second floor corridor disguised as me?"

"I..just needed some alone time. You know, to get my head straight" shrugged the _Teddy _Professor Wispen.

" Ok…and the pajamas? I do have a reputation to uphold you know. Although, now that I see it, I realize I _can _pull it off" asked Professor Wispen, apparently still amused by the situation.

"Oh…well…that, I didn't really plan it all out when I left. I just sort of grabbed some clothes off the floor and left" answered the _Teddy _Professor Wispen, beginning to hope he wouldn't be in detention until the summer for impersonating a teacher.

"That's all you grabbed? Just your clothes?" asked Professor Wispen, his gaze suddenly hard.

"Um…yeah, just my clothes" lied Teddy. His Godfather had made him promise to keep the Marauder's Map a secret from everybody except Victoire. Teddy trusted Professor Wispen, but he wouldn't break a promise to his Godfather. Not for anything in the world.

He decided now was probably to best time to start his series of apologizes.

"I'm sorry that I impersonated you. I thought you would be asleep and that it wouldn't matter and that if Filch found me that I could pass as you and I just needed some time alone and…" Teddy rambled his apologizes before being cut off by Professor Wispen.

Teddy didn't realize it, but because his emotions were running so wild, he found himself in one of the few times he lost some control on his Metamorphmagus abilities. He still appeared as Professor Wispen, but his hair had started to revert back to his normal electric blue. This made him seem more like the punk rock version of a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.

"It's ok! I'm flattered really" interrupted Professor Wispen. He, unlike Teddy, noticed the change in hair color and held back a laugh.

"I have to ask you to turn back into yourself though, my wife wouldn't appreciate there being _two _Cameron Wispens that forgot our anniversary" responded Professor Wispen smiling and holding up the package in his arms.

"Oh right, of course" responded the _Teddy_ Professor Wispen in Hufflepuff pajamas. Teddy scrunched up his face and slowly the features of Professor Wispen disappeared to be replaced with his normal look.

"You're sending a package to your wife for your wedding anniversary?" asked Teddy, trying to change the subject from his choice of disguise.

"Oh, no, it's not my wedding anniversary, or the anniversary of our engagement, or the anniversary of our first date, actually I can't remember _which _anniversary it is. All I know is that my wife sent me a _very_ lovely Howler last night and I'm trying to avoid sleeping on the couch for the rest of my life" sighed Professor Wispen.

"Sounds fun" laughed Teddy.

"Yeah, but let's not get caught up on the status of my sleeping arrangements, _why_ were you roaming the hallways of Hogwarts this fine morning?" asked Professor Wispen, looking intently at Teddy.

"Oh, I was just thinking about some things" he responded weakly. After receiving a questioning look from his professor he knew he would have to elaborate. "I was thinking about the Quidditch match."

"I'm guessing you're pretty nervous right about now" answered Professor Wispen.

"Yeah, it's all I can think about. There is so much riding on this game and I just don't want to let down my teammates, it's the final season for a lot of them" stated Teddy, trying to get his worries off his chest.

Professor Wispen didn't respond right away, but seemed to be trying to form the right response in his mind. Finally, he spoke up.

"Do you know what the extent of my Keeper career was here at Hogwarts?"

"No" replied Teddy honestly.

"I played for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team for six years. We came in third. _ONCE_. That was the complete extent of our accomplishments. You, on the other hand, have a chance for something for something great, something Hufflepuff has been denied for _far too long_. You can bring Hufflepuff _respect _with this win, a trait she has been denied on the Quidditch pitch for decades."

"Now, you have a chance to defeat Slytherin, yes you are heavy underdogs, but there is a chance. That is more than enough to win! You need to walk onto that pitch feeling determined, nervous yes, but determined. Be confident that you will beat Slytherin. If you think you're going to lose, then you already have."

Teddy stood in the mostly deserted hallway trying to comprehend his professor's words. Then, all of sudden, it just sort of clicked. Teddy realized that this match was bigger than himself, it was even bigger than his Quidditch Team. He was fighting for Hufflepuff, to win her the respect that was denied her.

Teddy, although still very anxious about his upcoming match, felt new emotions surging through his body. In the bubbling cauldron that was his emotional state, Professor Wispen had just added a pint of excitement and determination that was the galleon of anxiety. It was a small step, but a step in the right direction.

"Thanks Professor, I needed that" Teddy responded, the small smile now etched on his face.

"Hey, don't worry about it, I was bound to be still be useful for something right?" he laughed. "Now, if you excuse me, I need to send this package of sweets and flowers before I receive a Howler filled with pure bubotuber puss from my wife. I'd be upset with her if I didn't love her so much" he added shaking his head.

Teddy and Professor Wispen parted ways, Teddy heading down to the dungeons and Professor Wispen heading up to the Owlery.

Teddy was feeling better than he had felt all night. He was still incredibly nervous and anxious, but it wasn't overwhelming. He knew he had Professor Wispen to thank for that.

Professor Wispen was like a mix between a friend you could joke with and a mentor filled with wisdom. It was an odd combination, but one that Teddy treasured. Professor Wispen was always available to ask for advice, whether from a Seventh Year paranoid about N.E. or from a First Year unable to perform the tickling spell _Rictumsempra_ in his Charms class.

It was no wonder that students from all Houses, not just Hufflepuff, came to him for advice or help.

Teddy was still working the conversation between Professor Wispen and himself in his mind. He arrived at the base of the Great Staircase. He looked to his right and saw the opening of the dungeon that would take him back to his common room. He knew Chase and the rest of his team would be sitting around the common room, too nervous to speak or communicate in any way.

He had just eliminated some of his nervousness and was in no mood to return so early and gain it all back. Weighing his options, he decided to head for Hagrid's Hut. He hadn't visited him yet this year and he always provided a distraction.

Teddy headed out the Great Door, it was daylight out now so Filch had opened them, and he started the short trek to Hagrid's.

After a few minutes of walking, Teddy arrived at the one-room hut on the edge of the forbidden forest. He knocked on the door of the hut and immediately heard the barking of a large dog.

"Quiet down you!" shouted Hagrid over the noise of the barking. Suddenly, the door yanked open to reveal the half-giant standing with the collar of his massive canine in his right hand.

"Oh, Teddy, how nice of yeh to visit. Come inside, I'll put a pot of tea on for the three of us" said Hagrid, wearing his signature grin.

Teddy decided to not remind Hagrid there were only two of them. He doubted Hagrid couldn't finish enough tea for twenty people, let alone two. Brewing tea for three was probably the best route.

As Teddy walked inside, after being attacked by the enormous canine, he noticed a small open box lying near the fireplace. He walked over and saw that it wasn't an empty box as he had assumed.

Inside were five sleeping puppies. They looked like Jack Russell Terriers with their brown and white furs. Teddy examined further and noticed the forked tails. They must be Crups he thought, the wizard dog.

"Hey Hagrid, why do you have a box of puppies?" asked Teddy while stroking the enormous head of Hagrid's dog.

"I found 'em. The little tikes were just lying in that box outside of Hog's Head."

"And you took them back with you?" asked Teddy, still gazing at the sleeping baby Crups.

"Well of course I did! They didn't have any food or water and it was getting cold out. Poor little devils would have froze to death if I hadn't brought 'em back. They must have been abandoned, but I didn't see a Mother so I'm guessing they were also…"

"Orphaned" Teddy finished for him.

Teddy stared at the abandoned puppies. One of them had woken up and pushed itself up into a sitting position with its tiny legs. After jumping around and failing to wake his sleeping brothers and sisters, he turned his large eyes and looked up at Teddy. He sat on his end with his head pointed slightly to the side. He had his tongue hanging open before releasing the softest of barks. What Teddy really noticed was the eyes.

_They look just like Victoire's _he thought with a smile. They were the same shade of soft, light blue.

Teddy reached down and held the puppy by his midsection. He laughed while the eager puppy licked his face.

Teddy was still laughing when the door of Hagrid's Hut opened again.

"Hey, Hagrid, I fed the Thestrals, or at least I think I did, I can't actually see them, but the meat was disappearing so I'm guessing it was…oh… hey Teddy, when did you get here?" asked Victoire. She was wearing a light blue shirt with a pair of ripped jeans. "Nice pajamas by the way."

Teddy noticed with a smile that her shirt matched her eyes perfectly.

"Yeah, I try" replied Teddy with a grin, gesturing to his choice of attire. "Come check out my new friend."

Victoire removed her gloves and made her way over to Teddy. She received the puppy from his outstretched arms and immediately seemed to fall in love with it. Teddy saw the tail wagging furiously as he licked Victoire's face. Eventually, she sat down on the hut's floor and let the puppy run around. It jumped on Victoire immediately and tried to resume its onslaught.

Teddy watched as Victoire laughed on the floor with the puppy licking her face. Teddy realized that his nervousness and anxiety was leaving him. As he watched Victoire, her wavy bond hair falling down past her shoulders, laughing on the floor with the young Crup, he couldn't even imagine being apprehensive about Quidditch.

Nothing could bother him now. His talk with Professor Wispen had of course helped, but just watching Victoire laughing and playing with the puppy had done so much more. Victoire eventually looked up at him with her soft blue eyes and flashed a smile of pure happiness. Teddy couldn't help but smile back, his eyes locked on hers.

They stayed that way for a little while before Hagrid interrupted while looking up from his tea kettle.

"So what are you going to name him?" asked Hagrid, his smile showing through his bushy beard.

"Well, I don't know, how about… Spike?" asked Teddy looking at the puppy in Victoire's arms. He watched the young dog wrinkle his nose at the name. "No? Well how about…Duke?" Teddy saw the dog had the same reaction.

"How about…Champ?" asked Victoire, looking down at the canine in her arms. The puppy replied with a happy bark. "Ok, Champ it is!"

After the three enjoyed a laugh, Teddy announced he had to leave and apologized for not staying for tea. Aaron always demanded that the team eat breakfast together before a match.

When Teddy was about to exit the door of the hut after saying his goodbyes, he noticed Victoire had moved next to him. He turned and looked into her soft blue eyes. Her wavy blond hair was still falling beautifully and two strands had moved to frame her face.

Victoire touched his arm with her hand. If Teddy still harbored any angst that morning, it disappeared with a flash when they had made contact. She whispered good luck before turning around to walk back towards Champ.

Teddy felt in incredible detail as her hand slid slowly down his arm before she moved too far to reach.

Teddy, knowing he needed to rush, found himself slowly walking back to the castle instead. For the first time in hours, his mind was not stuck on his Quidditch match, but on the feeling still coursing through his arm.

When he reached the Great Doors he remembered with a jolt why he had left Hagrid's.

He rushed back to the common room and noticed that his friends must have already left for the dining hall. Christian had probably heard him leave last night and knew he needed time by himself. He was one smart cookie that Christian.

Teddy quickly changed out of his pajamas and into his weekend clothes. He rushed down to the Great Hall and soon found the huddled mass that was his Quidditch Team. He approached his team and saw most of them staring down at their empty plates, not speaking. Teddy remembered the feeling all too well. After his run in with Professor Wispen and Victoire though, he felt excited and determined. Any nervousness he had felt before heading down to Hagrid's had long since dissipated.

Teddy sat down next to Chase and loaded his plate full of bacon and eggs. He also put sausages and bacon on Chase's plate. Chase played with the food on his plate, but didn't really eat.

Fifteen minutes later, Aaron announced that they were heading down to the locker room. Teddy walked with the rest of his team. He saw the Slytherin Team watching them walk down the seemingly endless path to the Great Doors. He received comforting smiles from Christian, Taylor, and Emily, all of whom were sitting at the Hufflepuff Table.

Teddy was surprised that Victoire wasn't there. As he was scanning the Gryffindor Table, he saw the blond-haired third-year. She wasn't actually sitting _at _the Gryffindor Table though. He saw her sitting next to a dark-brown haired boy at the Ravenclaw Table. He recognized the boy, but just couldn't place where he had seen him before.

Victoire looked up and saw Teddy staring at her. She sent a small wave and a smile.

Teddy left the Great Hall with a smile on his face as well. In sharp contrast to just a few hours earlier, he was brimming with confidence.

The Hufflepuff Team arrived at the locker room and changed silently into their yellow Quidditch robes. Teddy saw fear on the faces of his teammates. Even his captain, Aaron Armstrong, had a hard time removing his look of nervousness and anxiety.

Aaron stood up, apparently to give one of his speeches. Normally, Aaron was a great speaker, but the pressure on him must have been overwhelming. He spoke weakly for a few minutes about having practiced well and told his team to hit the field. Teddy knew he needed to share his confidence with his teammates. They needed to feel the same determination and confidence that was coursing through him.

"Aaron do you mind if I say something?" asked Teddy, already rising to his feet. After he received the short nod from his captain, he looked towards the rest of the team.

"Do not be afraid of what lies behind that door!" started Teddy pointing at the closed door of the locker room. "Only Slytherin should be scared right now! We have trained HARDER and LONGER than those snakes. We have a chance to show them…no…_prove _to them that we are NOT the same Hufflepuff! We are a Hufflepuff Team that will NEVER back down! I don't care if we play Slytherin, Gryffindor, or the bloody English National Team, we will NEVER just give up!"

"For many of you it's your last year! YOUR LAST CHANCE! You need to march out there and leave EVERYTHING on the field! Anything except one hundred percent is a WASTE!"

"I AM _TIRED _OF BEING THE BUTT TO EVERY JOKE! I AM _TIRED _OF BEING SEEN AS A THIRD RATE QUIDDITCH HOUSE! BUT MOST OF ALL, I AM _TIRED _OF LOSING!"

Teddy could see he had captured his teammates' attention, they were staring up at him, absorbing his every word.

"WE ARE GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND WIN US SOME _RESPECT_! SLYTHERIN HAS MADE US TASTE DEFEAT TIME AND TIME AGAIN, NOW IT'S OUR TURN! LET"S GO OUT THERE AND SHOW THEM WHO THE BETTER TEAM IS! LET"S GO OUT THERE AND EARN WHAT WE DESERVE! LET"S GO OUT THERE AND WIN THIS MATCH! BELIEVE YOU CAN WIN THIS MATCH AND YOU ALREADY HALFWAY THERE!" shouted Teddy throwing his fist into the air.

The other players were standing at this point, pumping their fists into the air and shouting along with Teddy.

"Now, who are we!"

"_Hufflepuff!_"

"WHO ARE WE!"

"_HUFFLEPUFF!_"

"**WHO ARE WE!"**

"_**HUFFLEPUFF!**_"

"NOW LET"S GO OUT THERE AND KICK SOME SLYTHERIN ASS!" shouted Aaron, clapping Teddy on the shoulder and standing by his Keeper.

The energized Hufflepuff Team practically sprinted out the doors. They jumped onto to their brooms and raced towards the center pitch. Teddy could see the hard, resolute look in his teammates' eyes. He could see Chase's eyes practically burning with determination.

Teddy believed what he had said. He knew Hufflepuff had a great team. He just needed to show _them_ that.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Teddy instantly knew his speech had worked. The Hufflepuff Team played with a passion that he had never witnessed before.

The Chasers were passing the Quaffle better than he had ever seen before. They seemed to just sense where the other Chaser was, instead of physically seeing them.

They scored on Slytherin once, twice, three times in the first five minutes alone. The Beaters were knocking Bludgers hard enough to knock out a Graphorn. He could see his Captain with a frenzied look on his face as he pelted a Bludger toward an oncoming Chaser.

The Slytherin team seemed overwhelmed. Their Chasers rarely held the Quaffle past midfield and even when they did get a shot off, Teddy was doing his best Wispen impersonation and blocked their every shot. He laughed to himself, it was the second impersonation he had done in one day.

As Teddy, threw the red Quaffle to Chase after his latest save, he heard something unusual from the crowd. It was…_silence_. They were stunned. Even the Hufflepuff stands couldn't believe how well their team was performing.

Hufflepuff was quickly gaining the lead, only a half hour into the game, they were already up 70-0. Chase having scored five of those goals. He saw Pat trailing the Slytherin Seeker closely, blocking his path at every turn.

Another hour into the game, the crowd had recovered from their stunned state and was buzzing loudly. Several great saves and scores later, the Hufflepuff Team had amassed an incredible 170-0 lead over Slytherin. Teddy, still holding the Quaffle from his latest save, saw Pat and the enemy Seeker pull into a steep dive. He looked down and saw the tiny, gold Snitch hovering over the midfield line.

He, along with the entire crowd, held his breathe. The Seekers were racing towards the Snitch, flat on their brooms, willing themselves to go faster. Pat was dead even with the other Seeker, he reached out his hand. The golden Snitch was a mere inches from his hands. Suddenly, Pat was elbowed by the Slytherin in his jaw and spun away from the Snitch.

The Slytherin Seeker took his opportunity and grabbed the Snitch and held it above his head triumphantly. Teddy, however, didn't move. He could see Pat was flying around the pitch, apparently not too hurt.

He could practically hear the whirring of the brains in the audience, adding up the points to the match. He then heard the collective gasp as they realized that Hufflepuff had a 170 point lead so even though Slytherin had caught the Snitch…

"HUFFLEPUFF WINS!" shouted Madam Hooch after blowing her whistle.

The crowd remained silent, completely stunned. Hufflepuff, not the weather, not any outside source, but Hufflepuff alone, had defeated Slytherin.

All of a sudden, the Hufflepuff stands erupted. To say they were excited was a massive understatement. Yellow sparks were being shot out of wands by nearly two hundred students, and one euphoric Head of House, as Teddy flew towards his teammates. The seven players collided, all hugging each other in their ecstatic celebration. It seemed unreal, it seemed impossible, but it _was _real. Hufflepuff had defeated the team that had plagued them with consecutive losses for decades.

_Hufflepuff defeated Slytherin_

_Badgers defeated Snakes_

_Yellow and Black defeated Silver and Green_

No matter how Teddy thought about, he was glad he just couldn't get it out of his mind.

Teddy saw the stands of Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and especially Slytherin completely quiet. They had a look of shock still painted on their faces. He could Professor Vomis staring at the score counter in disbelief. The sight made an even bigger smile grow on his face.

Teddy and his team slowly drifted back down to earth, still hugging tightly. Aaron and a few of the other Seventh Years were crying unashamed. Teddy saw Christian and Taylor racing over towards him beaming. The Hufflepuff stands had emptied as they poured on to the field. Teddy helped his teammates lift Chase in the air; he had scored fourteen of the goals by himself, a Hufflepuff record.

He was still lost in his euphoria, holding Chase up along with the mass of yellow and black before he felt a hand on his shoulder turn him around.

He barely had time to catch blue eyes before he was pulled into a fierce kiss. Teddy, completely immersed in his elation, let his hormones take over as he kissed back just as passionately.

After a few seconds, and a few wolf whistles from the surrounding crowd, he pulled back and looked into those blue eyes. He released they weren't light blue, but a darker shade. He saw the auburn hair and face of Amber staring back at him, a huge smile on her face.

Teddy, just for a second, just for the slightest, most fleeting instant, thought he had been kissing a different girl with blue eyes.

Amber positioned herself under Teddy's shoulder and placed his arm around her.

His mind soon forgot the episode as Professor Wispen walked over to him to personally congratulate him on his Keeper performance.

Teddy was soon swept back into the incredible celebration occurring on the pitch. If he wasn't being practically mauled by Hufflepuffs, if he wasn't laughing as Chase screamed BOO-YAH at the top of his lungs, and if he wasn't hugging his teammates furiously, then he just might have seen the blond-girl being comforted by a dark-brown haired boy in a Ravenclaw t-shirt as they walked back up to the castle.

If he wasn't doing those things, he just might have seen it.

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

**Another chapter written! Sorry for the late update, I've been getting ready to go back off to school.**

**I'll have to make time at school to write, but a few reviews will help motivate me (nudge,nudge).**

**Next Chapter will be Victoire POV. **

**Love it?...Hate it?...Review it!**


	12. Jake Merriman

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**Priestpotter:**

**THANK YOU for all the comments and reviews! I've been pretty busy with school starting up again but the reviews helped SO much! **

**Tell me what you think of the chapter. **

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

_One hundred and fifty to zero! They could really pull this off _thought Victoire shocked, but happy.

She was sitting in the stands of the Quidditch pitch, on her right was the roaring Hufflepuff section and on her left was the Ravenclaw section, stunned silent. The Gryffindors were seated next to the Hufflepuffs and Slytherin on the far side of the Ravenclaws.

Victoire was seated between Emily and Jake. Emily had of course decided to don Hufflepuff colors in support of her boyfriend's house.

Slytherin took a time out, no doubt to try and figure out what's happening, giving Victoire time to search the crowd for any other familiar faces. She recognized some Ravenclaws and a few Hufflepuffs besides Christian and Taylor.

She obviously recognized most of the Gryffindors and noticed that Amber was sitting in the center of the Gryffindor crowd. Her auburn hair was easy to spot and she noticed she was wearing a Hufflepuff scarf. Unlike most of the crowd, whose eyes were following the Quaffle in the air when play was resumed, Amber seemed to be staring at Teddy, even when the Quaffle was nowhere near him. She seemed to have an almost hungry look in her eyes.

Victoire tried to push the thoughts of Amber from her mind. It was bad enough receiving the stony glares every morning in the common room; she didn't need to be finding her in a crowd as well.

Victoire turned her head to look at Jake and ask him what he thought of the match before seeing the expression painted on his face. Pushing away thoughts of her sixth year prefect, she couldn't hold back a small smile.

His dark-brown hair was slightly skewed from running his hand through it repeatedly and his handsome face had a look of pure astonishment. He could hear him muttering _Hufflepuff _over and over. Victoire assumed she would probably be about the same if her happiness hadn't overcome her shock.

As a Gryffindor, she had been groomed to dislike the Slytherins from day one. More importantly, she was glad for Teddy. She knew how much this season meant to him. Teddy had talked non-stop about his Quidditch Team during the summer, despite Victoire's pleas that he shut up. She even had to curse his lips together during dinner one evening when he had talked about Quaffles and Hoops for four hours straight. A girl could only take so much after all.

Sure, she had been upset at Teddy after Hogsmeade, but Jake had helped her through that. Also, she and Teddy seemed to get along fine at Hagrid's. She even remembered when he seemed to be unable to pry his eyes off her. She was playing with Champ and she caught the calmed look in his eyes as he watched her.

The thought still made her smile.

Her thoughts were sharply interrupted as the two hundred yellow and black clad students to her right cheered loudly. She looked up and saw that Chase had just scored another goal, his thirteenth of the day.

She didn't know what the House Elves put in the Hufflepuff breakfast this morning, but whatever it was, it was _definitely _working. They were flying circles around the Slytherins. The entire Slytherin Team seemed too shocked to even react to their beating.

Chase may have stolen the show, but Victoire noticed how incredible Teddy had played so far. He was making unbelievable saves, some that even her Uncle Ron would be envious of. Not that he would admit it of course.

Victoire began to watch the match with increased enthusiasm. She was cheering on the thundering badgers along with the rest of the Hufflepuffs. Her parents may have stayed away from the Quidditch scene, but she had enough Weasley blood in her to appreciate a good Quidditch display when she saw one.

Victoire watched as Chase flew with the Quaffle, weaving in and out of Slytherin Chasers and Beaters. He was one-on-one with the Keeper. He flew straight at the Slytherin Keeper, as if he were going to ram him. Both players, the Slytherin Keeper and Hufflepuff Chaser, looked like they were going to collide.

Chase, however, swerved at the last second. The Slytherin Keeper shot right by him, allowing him an easy, and record breaking, fourteenth goal of the match.

The stands were shaking from the cheers of the Hufflepuff.

"Wow! Did you see that?" exclaimed Victoire, looking to her left.

"Yeah, it was…cool. But I could do _that_" finished Jake in a mutter.

Victoire was going to ask him what he meant before she saw the Seekers pull into a steep dive. The yellow clad Hufflepuff Seeker and the green clad Slytherin Seeker were neck and neck.

Victoire watched the aerial battle in silence, along with the rest of the crowd. The only sounds she could hear was the soft breathing of the people around her and the faint rustling of cloaks as the players sped by.

The Seekers were gaining on the Snitch. The Hufflepuff Seeker reached out his hand, only inches from the fluttering gold ball. She heard the crowd have an intake of breathe. She could see the tips of the Seeker's fingers brushing the Snitch.

And then the yellow clad Seeker jerked back, holding his jaw. She had missed what happened, so intent upon watching the Snitch. She looked and saw that all of the Hufflepuffs to her right, who were usually an easy going House, had a look of pure anger. They all seemed to be shooting daggers at the Slytherin Seeker.

Victoire's attention turned back to the match just in time to see the Slytherin swoop and catch the golden ball in his gloves. He held the ball over his head in triumph and yet the crowd didn't react. She could practically hear the students around her counting up the score.

_Hufflepuff was up 170-0…catching the snitch is 150 points…so…the score is 170-150…Hufflepuff! _thought Victoire, letting out an involuntary gasp. She heard the crowd surrounding her let out a similar gasp.

Victoire looked over at Hufflepuffs, and more specifically, Christian and Taylor. They looked stunned until a small smile appeared on their faces. That small smile soon grew into wide grin.

Then the Hufflepuff stands _erupted. _

Victoire understood what they were going through. Hufflepuff hadn't beaten a major Quidditch House, Gryffindor or Slytherin, in over fifteen years. Even that match was marked with an asterisk due to _extenuating circumstances_. There would be no asterisk on this match's result. No footnote and no annotation either. This was a Hufflepuff victory, pure and simple. 

Yellow and black clad students charged the field, screaming and yelling unashamed. Victoire watched as Christian and Taylor were in the center of the charge, making a beeline for the celebrating Hufflepuff Quidditch Team. Soon, the Quidditch Team was mobbed by a crowd of celebrating badger supporters. She could see Emily standing next to Professor Wispen who also had a look of pure joy on his features. Professor Wispen soon walked out towards the pitch, apparently to congratulate his House on the victory.

Victoire, still sitting next to a stunned Jake, searched for Teddy in the mass. After not finding him on the field at first glance, she even half-searched the stands for her blue-haired friend, believing for a fraction of a second he might come and find _her_.

One-fourth of the stands were completely empty and the other three-quarters were still sitting silently in the stands staring up at the score board in disbelief.

Unsurprisingly, she didn't find Teddy in the stands. She also noticed that Amber was absent, the only Gryffindor to have moved. Looking back onto the field, she caught the glimpse of blue-hair. He was under Chase, one of many Hufflepuffs lifting their victorious Chaser into the air. That was probably why she hadn't seen him earlier.

Chase was pumping his fists and shouting happily along with the other Hufflepuffs.

Victoire got up from her feet, followed soon by Jake who had somewhat recovered from his state. She easily understood why Chase was celebrating so hard, she too felt elated. She wanted to congratulate Teddy personally and show him how glad she was.

She had just made it to the railing, intent upon climbing onto the field and congratulating Teddy when she saw Amber walking purposely through the throng of people.

As if in slow motion, Victoire watched the scene unfold before her blow by blow.

Amber made it through the mass of people fairly easy, even students from other Houses moved out of the way of the sixth year Gryffindor prefect.

She reached out and put her hand on Teddy's shoulders. She turned around the elated Hufflepuff Keeper. Before Teddy was even completely turned around, Victoire watched as Amber pulled Teddy into a long kiss.

It seemed an eternity before they broke apart. Her pulse had been racing from her excitement earlier, but now she felt like someone had taken a well aimed punch to her chest. After a moment's hesitation, she took no more time in turning her back to the field, trying to keep her raging emotions in check and her composure solid.

She failed in both.

Victoire sprinted from the stands, ignoring the surprised shouts from Jake. Hot tears were forming in her eyes as she sprinted towards the castle. She only made it to the Quidditch path before Jake caught up with her.

"Victoire! What's wrong?" asked Jake while gently grabbing her arm to stop her sprint.

Victoire didn't respond because, honestly, she didn't know how. Watching Amber and Teddy had caused a torrent of emotions to swell inside her. She felt angry, frustrated, hurt, and a mixture of twenty other emotions.

"Just get away from me!" shouted Victoire through the growing lump in her throat and trying to throw off his arm.

"Victoire slow down! Just talk to me. Tell me what's wrong" finished Jake in a whisper. Victoire turned to see the concern in his eyes. She slowed down, but didn't grant his request for conversation.

"Nothing's wrong" she countered, almost in a whisper. Both knew that wasn't even close to true.

The pair walked up the path in silence for a while before the Great Doors came into view.

"Let's go sit by the lake" suggested Jake.

"No! I just want to go up the Gryffindor Tower and…and..." claimed Victoire, failing miserably in her attempt to find an excuse. Her mind was still replaying the scene between Teddy and Amber constantly; her emotions clouding up her thought process.

"You can't go up to Gryffindor Tower" stated Jake, turning Victoire so he could look her in the eyes.

"Why not?!" shouted Victoire. She knew Jake didn't deserve the abuse she was throwing him, but she didn't care, she had bigger problems.

"Because I can't help you in Gryffindor Tower" finished Jake softly, his hazel eyes peering into her soft blue eyes.

Victoire stared back into those hazel eyes. For only a second, she forgot why she had been so upset, why she had sprinted from the Quidditch, and why she wanted to go up to her four-poster bed and punch her pillow until she collapsed.

"Ok" conceded Victoire softly. She turned her back to the doors and was surprised when Jake grabbed her hand and gently led her towards the lake. His hand felt was calloused, but was softer than she had expected. It actually reminded her of Teddy's.

Jake led her towards one of the many trees lining the clear blue lake. Victoire saw the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily in the unusually warm autumn air. Victoire could see that they were the only students walking on the grounds. Everyone else was probably still at the Quidditch pitch either congratulating the Hufflepuffs or sitting in their seats stunned at their recent loss.

Victoire followed Jake, trying to push all the thoughts from her head. Everything she thought about brought up some memory of Teddy, however, and every memory of Teddy brought up one _particular_ memory that involved a pretty auburn haired Gryffindor.

Victoire still didn't know what to think of the kiss she witnessed. When it happened, she felt like she had been hit in the stomach. Now that's she had some time to think about, she was trying to figure out _why _it had affected her. The second she watched them come together, a whirlwind of emotions had erupted within her. Something she had never felt before. Not even yesterday, when she felt she had been abandoned by all her friends, did she feel like she did now.

_Well, yesterday wasn't ALL bad_ thought Victoire suddenly, after seeing Jake look over his shoulder and smile at her before continuing his trek. She calmed down a bit after that, but was still lost in her own thoughts as they trudged around the lake.

After for a good five minutes, Jake abruptly stopped in front of her. Victoire hadn't noticed and caught her foot on the back of his heel, causing her to lose her balance. Victoire stumbled and realized that she was about to fall head first into the lake.

She closed her eyes and braced herself for the cold water about to drench her; thinking the whole time that today could not have gone any worse.

After having her eyes closed for almost five seconds without feeling any water, she cautiously opened them. She realized that she wasn't being suspended as she had assumed, but she was being held.

"Thought I wasn't going to catch you?" asked Jake through a tentative grin. Victoire turned around until she was face-to-face with Jake. He hadn't moved his hands and they were still holding her tightly against him.

"Thanks" replied Victoire softly. She looked back into Jake's eyes, feeling…comforted. The whirl of emotions seemed to die down slightly.

Neither Jake nor Victoire moved away. They stood by the lake; Jake's strong arms snaked around her waist, pulling her close to his strong chest.

"Come on, I want to show you something" said Jake after a time. He gently released his hold on Victoire's waist, re-grabbed her hand and pulled her through an opening between two trees.

Victoire followed Jake through the gap in the trees. After pushing a few branches out of the way she realized they were standing in a small, semi-circle shaped, clearing. On one side was the lake, reflecting the light gently into the tree canopies. Victoire could see the castle on the far side of the lake. In the center of the grassy clearing was a beautiful apple tree, its branches filled with large, golden apples.

"Wow this is beautiful! I didn't know Hogwarts had apple trees" exclaimed Victoire honestly, thoughts of Teddy pushed from her mind. Something she realized that happened often around Jake.

"It doesn't" replied Jake through a soft smile. "I found this clearing early in my first year. My parents were fighting when I left home and when I arrived here at school; they kept sending me letters, trying to make me choose sides. One day, I just wanted to get away from it all. I wanted to forgot everything and just be a normal guy with normal problems, not someone with parents fighting some stupid custody battle."

Victoire looked at Jake curiously, wondering why he was sharing this with her. She had only known Jake for a couple of days, but he had never talked about his home life. She decided to wait before asking that question. She was grateful he was trying to help, and she didn't want him to stop.

"So how did you end up here on the other side of the lake?" asked Victoire, moving towards the apple tree in the middle of the small clearing.

"Well, I wanted to go somewhere secluded outside of the castle, but I was only eleven so I was still too scared to go into the Forbidden Forest. Eventually, I just pushed my way through the trees until I stumbled upon here."

_Well that makes sense, not even Uncle Harry would be THAT reckless to go into the Forbidden Forest in his first year! _thought Victoire. Her thoughts returned to the magnificent apple tree standing in front of her.

"And this apple tree was here?"

"No, I planted him about a month later" answered Jake, putting his hand on the soft bark. "I'm an only child and I used to live with my parents in Hatfield. When my parents fought, I would run out of my house to this small orchard down the road. It was lined with these beautiful Hertfordshire apple trees. I would sit in the shade of those trees for hours, forgetting about anything outside the orchard.

"That was what I missed most about home and when I asked Professor Longbottom if he had any Hertfordshire saplings, he said he would order for one. A week later, he handed the tiny sapling to me after an Herbology class. I planted it here the next day" finished Jake fondly, still feeling the bark of the tree.

Jake sat down at the base of the tree, resting his head against the soft bark. He patted the ground next to him, an obvious invitation for Victoire. She smiled before accepting his offer and sitting beside him.

"This tree looks so much older than five years though" commented Victoire, looking over at the handsome Ravenclaw. He picked his head off the bark to look at Victoire.

"Yeah, I still come here every time I'm feeling overwhelmed or overworked. I always give it a light growing charm. This tree has helped me so much, it's the least I could do" answered Jake smiling.

Victoire paused before asking the question on her mind.

"So what happened with your parents?"

"Well, they split up my second year. I live with my Mum in Harpenden now; it's a bit closer to London. I still floo back to my Dad's in Hatfield everyone in while. I still visit the orchard too" replied Jake, not taking his eyes off the lake, but seemed to be concentrating on a distant memory.

"Didn't you feel abandoned when our parents divorced?" asked Victoire, fearing she was prying too far.

Jake finally tore his eyes off the lake to look at Victoire. He paused for a while before answering her question.

"For a while I did, though eventually, I realized that just because they couldn't always be there for me, didn't mean they still didn't love me. As for them divorcing, some people just aren't meant for each other, no matter how perfect it seems when it starts out" finished Jake, giving her a small smile.

Victoire smiled back for a time before looking up at the canopy above her. The golden apples seemed perfect, as if it would be a shame to ruin one by eating it.

As if sensing her thoughts, Jake reached up and plucked one of the apples from the tree, handing it to the blond.

"It's hard to believe, but Hertfordshire apples taste even better than they look" spoke Jake, sporting a large grin.

Victoire returned the smile before taking a bite out of the golden apple. She immediately agreed with him. It was delicious, even better than the fruit served in the Great Hall. She looked over at Jake and realized how good a friend he was. It seemed hard to believe that she had only met him a day ago. He had already helped her so much.

He just seemed to exude a vibe of caring and understanding, something Victoire needed badly recently. Even his soft smile help calm her down. Jake had been there for her when no one else would. Not _Teddy_, but Jake.

"Thanks Jake" gently spoke Victoire, looking the Ravenclaw in the eyes.

"For the apple?" he asked curiously.

"For everything" replied Victoire still looking into his deep hazel eyes.

"You look like you needed to get away" shrugged Jake, not taking his eyes off of Victoire's.

Victoire finally tore her eyes off his. She leaned into his shoulder and was happy when he placed his arm over her shoulders. She loved the feeling. Lying against the soft bark of the apple tree next to Jake just seemed so…right. She also understood why he came here; it was so peaceful here under the shade of the canopy. The problems from the outside world didn't seem able to break into the clearing.

"So do you share this spot with a lot of people?" asked Victoire, still gazing over the lake. She could see a siskin and a starling flying together over the beautiful blue lake. The small yellow bird and the larger blue bird were flying together, apparently enjoying the unseasonably warm autumn air.

Victoire turned her head towards Jake and realized that he was already looking at her. They were only inches apart. Losing herself in his soft eyes, she remembered just how great Jake had been to her.

Not even fully realizing her actions, she leaned her head forward until she brushed her lips with his. She was elated when Jake returned the kiss, using his free hand to cup her cheek. Victoire and Jake broke apart soon after the soft kiss. Victoire opened her eyes to find Jake smiling at her, a wide grin on his face.

"It must be the apple tree" joked Jake, his wide grin never fading.

Victoire laughed before leaning in for another gentle kiss.

She and Jake stayed there for hours. Most of the time was spent with Jake resting his arm on Victoire's shoulders as she put her arms around his waist. They watched the lake and sat under the shaded canopy, just enjoying each other's company.

Victoire's thoughts were finally erased from the scene she witnessed at the Quidditch pitch. She knew she had Jake to thank for that.

She then heard Jake's stomach rumbling and wasn't able to stifle a laugh.

"Sorry, about that. All I had was that piece of toast for breakfast" replied Jake, looking at Victoire.

"It's ok. Let's go get lunch before your stomach starts eating itself" laughed Victoire. She grabbed his hand and together they walked out of the clearing.

Just before leaving she watched as Jake pulled out his wand and whispered the incantation _engorgio. _ The spell wafted unusually slow towards the golden apple tree. As the spell made contact, the tree noticeably grew several feet and the branches filled out more. Even the apples seemed to swell in size. It would only be perhaps a few more weeks until the leaves turned a brilliant yellow/orange, but for now, they were a luscious green. 

"Until next time" whispered Jake to no one in particular. He smiled before turning and re-grabbing Victoire's hand. They walked through the row of trees in a comfortable silence.

As they rounded the lake and neared the castle, Victoire could see the victory parade walking up towards the Great Doors.

"We had to have been there for hours. They still haven't made it back to the castle?" asked Victoire shocked, stopping in mid stride.

"You know, we don't have to go in now" replied Jake, feeling her hesitation. Jake had stopped with Victoire, never releasing her hand.

Victoire looked up at Jake's hazel eyes and felt the similar feeling of confidence and comfort. She looked back at the celebrating mob just in time to see Chase being carried back to the castle on the shoulders of roaring Hufflepuffs. Taylor, Christian, and Emily were all following, laughing and cheering with the rest of the badgers.

Following just behind them was Teddy, whose arm was being held by a beaming Amber. The Hufflepuff parade stopped near the Great Doors, probably one of many stops on the way into the castle. They seemed to be chanting some Hufflepuff cheer.

Victoire still felt the slight tug at the sight of Teddy and Amber, but it was lessened by the soft pressure she felt on her hand. She looked back up at the concerned Jake and gave him a soft kiss.

"No, let's go in now. There's nothing stopping us" replied Victoire, pulling Jake with her as she headed towards the Great Doors. The Hufflepuffs were too preoccupied to notice the Gryffindor third year and Ravenclaw fifth year as they passed by.

That is _almost _every Hufflepuff. One blue-haired Hufflepuff caught the sight of the blond and dark-brown haired boy holding hands as they passed. A confused and stern expression appeared on his face as he watched the pair until they rounded the corner. He was soon pulled back into the pandemonium by a pretty auburn haired girl, but his thoughts were now far away from his recent victory on the pitch.

**TVTVTVTVTVTVT**

**(Hatfield is a town in Hertfordshire County, England) **

**In case you're wondering why the explanation on Victoire's emotions is so vague, it's because she is thirteen and, more importantly, the niece of Ron Weasley. Same reason Teddy is so oblivious because he is the son of Remus Lupin. **

**I've received some reviews that want some more Teddy/Victoire or to just pick up the pace of the story, which is understandable. I planned on having one or two chapters until the Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff match before the Christmas break, including a Teddy/Jake confrontation scene, but I could skip to the Winter Holidays as well. **

**Couple bits of foreshadowing and symbolism in this chapter too.**

**Tell me what you think. All comments and suggestions are appreciated! **


	13. Long Day I

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! I LOVE THE FEEDBACK!**

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**__

"Rise and shine there Teddybear!" shouted Chase while shaking his sleeping companion.

_Merlin's pants, I thought we were past the nicknames _thought Teddy glumly. He checked the old watch he always wore to bed, an old habit he picked up when waiting for a specific time in the middle of night to pull a prank with Victoire, and realized he had been woken too early.

"Ugh… five more minutes" mumbled Teddy into his pillow, half-heartily throwing an arm behind him in order to swat away his dorm mate.

"Nope come on! Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!" shouted Chase loudly in his ear, successfully pulling away Teddy's sheets and revealing the sleeping fifteen year old. Teddy was sleeping in only his favorite pair of white and red-hearted underwear. It was a gift from Victoire when he was eleven and it had stretched enough to still fit. Unfortunately, there was now a tear directly over the left cheek, showing Chase more than what he wanted to see.

"Wow! You sleep in _those_!" yelled Chase in between bursts of laughter. Chase seemed unable to hold it in any further and quickly found his way to the floor, rolling with laughter.

"Oh shut up!" retorted Teddy, rising out of bed and beginning to pull on his robes.

"You know, that kind of looked like a fox or something" replied Chase, referring to the arrangement of freckles on his left cheek and pointing to his own left butt cheek for emphasis. "Taylor is better with animals though, you want to show her?"

Teddy looked at his dorm mate, an expression of unbelief sketched on his face.

"You want me to show Taylor my left arse cheek because you think that it _sort of_ resembles a fox _or something_?" asked Teddy incredulously.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" asked Chase sincerely, now leaning on the doorframe. Teddy thought about it for a moment before shrugging and agreeing that they've probably put Taylor through worse.

"Wait, why are _you_ up so early this _fine _Mondaymorning anyway?" asked Teddy, the thought just recently crossing his mind.

"Just thought we could get an early breakfast. A better start to the day" replied Chase offhandedly. Teddy meanwhile was searching his floor for a pair of socks that weren't _too _dirty. After finding the socks, wedged between the leg of his bed and his trunk, he pulled on pants, a clean shirt and a pair of fresh robes, completing his morning routine.

Teddy had a sneaking suspicion exactly _why_ Chase would be up this early on a Friday morning, a feat that rarely, if ever, occurs. It was usually Christian who had to rouse the two Hufflepuffs out of bed during the week. He, like Taylor, always rose at some ridiculous hour of the morning.

"Really? Is _that _the reason you want to head down early? It wouldn't be because there is a certain swarm of girls waiting in the Great Hall for their new _Quidditch god_ is it?" asked Teddy sarcastically, rising an eyebrow for added effect.

"Minor details, my good man, minor details indeed" grinned Chase, using his best Sherlock Holmes impression. Even in the wizarding world, the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were famous.

For as long as Teddy had known Chase, he had always been a legend in his own mind. After their recent Quidditch match, however, some of the school, and most of the female population, had begun to agree with him.

Their match two weeks ago had given Chase newfound popularity among the females of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Before and after meals, in between classes, even the Hufflepuff Common Room, wasn't safe from his contingent of feminine admirers.

Chase, like the humble man he was, had certainly been enjoying himself. It was still a miracle that he could fit his big head through the doors of the Great Hall, let alone through the entrance of the Hufflepuff Common Room.

Chase hadn't been the only one to enjoy himself these past two weeks, however, everyone in Hufflepuff, and especially the Quidditch team, had been celebrating. The party the afternoon of the victory had been incredible and the celebrations had continued well into the night.

Filled with Hufflepuff pride, the students had even thrown minor celebrations further into the week, including a small party this weekend. Teddy vividly remembered both Taylor and Chase partaking in the firewhiskey that night. The memory of Taylor falling over the back of the couch onto Chase still made him smile.

But, finally, after just over two full weeks from the match, the raucous celebrations had begun to die down to give life to a normal routine.

This was for everyone except Chase that is.

"Yeah I'm sure it's just eating you up" answered Teddy sarcastically once more. He led the way down the passageway into the cozy Hufflepuff Common Room. The enchanted windows showed a morning sky filled with dark clouds. Rain threatened to pour onto to the Hogwarts grounds at any moment.

Tearing his gaze from the forming storm clouds, he found his other best mates, dutifully working.

Christian and Taylor, both early risers, were of course already sitting at one of the many tables in the common room, putting the finishing touches on their homework. Teddy and Chase made their way over to complete the quartet.

"Hey guys, you're up kind of early" commented Christian, looking at his watch.

"Seriously, I wasn't going to send Christian to wake both of you for another ten minutes" added Taylor, looking up from her History of Magic essay.

"How sweet of you" commented a tired Teddy, placing his head on the table and trying to catch a few more seconds of sweet, sweet sleep. "Not all of us rise at such dreadfully early hours" he added.

"You know, as a prefect, you really should try to set a better example for the younger years" replied Taylor, not taking her eyes off her essay.

"Yeah, but that's why we love you" muttered Teddy, remembering that he needed to head back up the stairs to find his prefect's badge. He remembered vaguely putting it somewhere in his room.

"Yeah…sometimes" responded Taylor in a whisper that only Teddy heard. Before he could ask, Chase decided to add his thoughts to the conversation.

"Yeah I was thinking of getting up earlier from now on" announced Chase, looking over his shoulder. He obviously didn't realize his addition to the conversation was about three sentences too late. Teddy picked his head off the table, something he _really _didn't want to do, to see three giggling fourth year girls glancing at Chase. He, of course, had a huge grin plastered on his face and winked to one of the girls, sending them into another fit of giggles.

Teddy groaned into the table and Christian rolled his eyes at his friends display. Taylor, however, was shooting dirty looks at the fourth years. She had a hard gaze that Teddy had only seen her wear a few times earlier, mostly when she was around Chase.

"Ok whatever Chase, but now that you're up, let's head down to breakfast" said Christian, closing his books and placing them in his bag. Taylor soon followed suit, although she didn't stop sending her stern look at the giggling females.

Teddy quickly ran up stairs and found his prefect's badge exactly where he left it; inside his left dress shoe jammed at the bottom of his trunk.

The four Hufflepuffs were about to walk out of the common room when Chase remembered his earlier comments.

"Oh, Taylor, can we show you a freckle pattern on Teddy's arse?" asked Chase, no hint of hesitation in his voice.

"Um…ok. Drop 'em Teddy" responded Taylor, looking like Chase just asked her if the weather was nice.

After a small shrug, Teddy dropped the hem on his pants low enough to show the tear in his underwear. His left cheek with its ambiguous design was clearly visible though the hole in the fabric.

They were still standing near the Hufflepuff entrance when, unfortunately for him, his Quidditch Captain Aaron decided at that moment to walk in the entranceway. He arrived at a scene where, his Chaser, and his fellow Hufflepuffs Christian and Taylor, were staring intently at his Keeper's arse.

After a moment's hesitation in the entranceway while giving each student a questioning gaze, he finally spoke.

"Just keep it out of the locker room" stated Aaron, putting his hands in the air as if to show that he just didn't want to know. After he left, Taylor bent down to look even closer at the cheek.

"I thought it looked like a fox" announced Chase triumphantly. "See? These ones make up the nose and eyes and _these_ look like ears" added Chase, outlining the fox in the freckles.

Christian was standing a little farther away, a look of disbelief on his face as he watched his friends debate what the freckle pattern resembled.

"Hmm… I don't know…I think it looks more like a dog, or maybe a wolf" responded Taylor, lifting her head after peering at the left cheek intently. "See hear? The ears aren't so pointed; it definitely looks like an animal face, but I would have to say wolf."

"Well, tomato, tamato. I knew it was a canine or something" responded Chase, waving his hand at her suggestions. Taylor rolled her eyes and gave a small smile before seeing Chase was again waving at his female admirers. The smile died instantly on her face. Still glaring, she motioned for Teddy to lift his trousers.

After fixing his robes, the Hufflepuffs exited the scene as if nothing had happened. Nobody in the common room questioned the exchange between the fifth years, though they were sent several odd looks, and they left without incident.

As they were approaching the Great Hall, however, they saw Chase's daily greeting. It was six girls today, surprisingly low for a Monday, not that Chase minded. His wide grin unexplainably grew even larger when he saw the awaiting girls.

"Ah, hello ladies! Fine morning is it not?" announced Chase, gesturing with his hands. The girls seemed unable to respond through their fit of giggles. A sound that Teddy was quickly growing tired of.

Teddy and Christian rolled their eyes as they walked past the group of girls. Taylor, however, didn't walk past the girls as she did most mornings. She instead cut in front of Chase and threatened to give the girls detention if they didn't stop disturbing the peace in the hallways. Shocked at Taylor's sudden threat, the group of girls grudgingly entered the Great Hall, throwing cold looks at the Hufflepuff prefect.

"Ah why did you have to do that Taylor? We were just having some fun" asked Chase, looking slightly put out.

"I did what any prefect should have done" answered Taylor before leading the way into the Great Hall. Chase looked confused before giving a small shrug and following the brunette prefect for breakfast.

Teddy was about to follow his fellow Hufflepuffs when his calm morning was soundly disturbed.

"Teddy Remus Lupin!" shouted a voice from behind the group. Teddy turned to see Amber walking down the steps to the Great Hall, obviously irritated.

"Good luck mate, you'll need it" said Chase while clapping a sighing Teddy on the back. Christian, Taylor, and Chase all entered the Great Hall, leaving Teddy to his fate.

"Hey Amber" smiled Teddy weakly. Meanwhile, his mind was desperately trying to find the reason why Amber would be so upset so early on a Monday. She was wearing her usual tight-fitting robes. They easily showed off her many curves.

"Don't _hey Amber _me! You were supposed to pick me up at Gryffindor Tower fifteen minutes ago for our two week anniversary!" shouted Amber, glaring at the blue-haired prefect.

Teddy remembered with a cringe that he had indeed promised Amber he would pick her up at the tower. Although, in his defense, at the time they had been snogging when she had made him promise. He would have promised to capture a Hippogriff with his bare hands too if she had asked at the time.

As for today being their two week anniversary, he would just have to take her word for it.

After the kiss she had placed on him after the Hufflepuff match, Amber had rarely strayed far from Teddy. Any time not sleeping in her dorm or attending classes, was spent draped on the arm of the fifth-year prefect. That Monday, only two days after their first kiss, she had begun to introduce herself as Teddy's girlfriend.

Now, Teddy didn't have much experience in relationships, but he was fairly certain that he was supposed to ask her to be his girlfriend, or at the very least they would have discussed the topic beforehand.

Every time he brought the subject up, however, Amber immediately started another snog session. Something they did quite often. He couldn't remember a single meaningful conversation they had, but he could easily call to mind at least five times they had snogged after classes. Not that he minded of course, he was a fifteen year old boy after all.

"I'm…sorry?" replied Teddy unsurely. It was true, he had forgotten about picking her up, but he had been so distracted by being woken by a jumping, shouting Hufflepuff Chaser that any outside thoughts had been shoved from his mind.

"Good, but I expect you to make it up to me" answered Amber, latching herself to his arm. She led Teddy into the Great Hall.

Teddy looked up at the staff table to notice that it seemed emptier than usual. Headmistress McGonagall was sitting in her normal spot at the center of the high table. On her left sat Professor Wispen, looking more subdued than unusual, and her right sat Professor Longbottom, cheerfully chatting with Headmistress McGonagall.

Most mornings, Professor Wispen was always participating in a friendly conversation with the Headmistress or Professor Chang. Today, however, he was sitting quietly, looking solemnly over the Great Hall as if searching for a particular student.

Four and five spots over, however, the seats were vacant. These were where the Transfiguration teacher, Professor Jones, and the Potions teacher, Professor Vomis, sat. It was unusual for a Professor to miss breakfast, but not unheard of. Wiping the thought from his mind he looked towards the Hufflepuff Table and began to take a step when he noticed something odd.

He could see Chase looking around the Great Hall for any female admirers and Taylor was still shooting daggers at him every time she glanced up. Emily and Christian were sitting on the opposite side of the table, laughing while they fed each other grapes from their plates.

No, that wasn't odd. Taylor had been on edge about Chase's new following for a couple of days now, ever since the weekend, and Christian and Emily made a great couple, always laughing and smiling when they were around each other. No, what _was_ odd, was the last two people sitting at that section of the Badgers' Table.

Victoire and Jake were sitting on opposite sides of the table, smiling while they held hands and locked on each other's eyes. They must have arrived earlier as there were already remnants of their breakfast on their plates.

The sight of the Gryffindor and the Ravenclaw brought Teddy to a halt. Yes, he had heard that Victoire was dating a Ravenclaw Quidditch player, but he hadn't really believed it until now. He doubted whether the rumors were completely false as Victoire could easily have made a new friend from Ravenclaw, but as for them dating? He just didn't buy it. Not that he had asked Victoire about it though.

They hadn't talked in the two weeks following the match. They weren't avoiding each other, their schedules just didn't allow a lot of interaction time. Between schoolwork, Quidditch practice, and Amber, he didn't exactly have a lot of free time.

The one time he _had _sought her out, Emily told him she was by the lake. He looked for her by the clear blue water, but resigned to defeat after a half-hour of fruitless searching. He knew that Emily hadn't lied to him, but he couldn't find Victoire anywhere by the lake. He doubted that she would venture into the woods planted by their shores as well. It wasn't like there was anything in there.

But seeing Victoire with…_him_…brought the situation into brand new clarity. He remembered Jake all too well now. He noted how Jake was sitting smugly in his seat. He also remembered seeing Jake strut through the halls between his classes. He hadn't realized that he was strutting so conceitedly at the time, but it seemed painfully obvious now.

Not even a humiliating loss to Gryffindor a week ago had stopped Jake from his constant stream of arrogance in the corridors of Hogwarts. Teddy knew Jake was just such a…_git_. How could Victoire be with someone like _him_?

His thoughts were interrupted by Amber pulling on his arm. He felt himself being dragged away from the Hufflepuff Table, towards one of the other three House tables.

"Hey, don't you want to sit at the Hufflepuff Table?" asked Teddy, not looking at the pretty auburn-haired prefect on his arm. His gaze was still firmly pressed on Victoire and her new _acquaintance. _He wanted desperately to confront the arrogant bastard.

"Let's sit at the Gryffindor Table, ok? Better…_company_" replied Amber, glancing over at the Hufflepuff Table as well. Teddy knew she was referring to Victoire, he didn't understand why she disliked his best friend so much. As far he knew, they didn't really interact with each other. Something about the blond set her off and he quickly learned not to mention her name if he was around Amber.

Teddy was still too distracted by the sight of Victoire and Jake to put up an argument and allowed himself to be pulled to the Gryffindor Table. He noticed that Amber was walking him towards a group of girls he had seen around the castle, but had never met. They were sitting at the table and were giggling amongst themselves. Teddy noticed them kept glancing over at Chase.

_Great! They're EVERYWHERE_ thought Teddy miserably. Amber sat him down right next to one of the girls. She introduced him, but he missed their names. He kept stealing looks over at Victoire, despite the unpleasant feeling he always felt when he saw Jake holding her hand.

Giggler #1 must have asked him a question in the meantime, but he missed it. Jake had leaned over to whisper in Victoire's ear, causing her to laugh and playfully swat his arm. Teddy realized he had been brutally destroying his scrambled eggs as he watched the Hufflepuff Table. Putting down his knife after realizing he no longer had an appetite, he turned his attention to giggler #1.

"I'm sorry, what was it?" asked Teddy, trying desperately not to see Jake kiss Victoire's hand and cause her to blush.

"I _said_, you must know Chase Wood right? Do you think you could introduce us?" asked giggler #1. Giggler #2 and giggler #3 were nodding their heads in anticipation.

"What? Yeah…I guess so" replied Teddy, causing the girls to fall into another fit of giggles. The sound was really beginning to tire on the fifth year. He wasn't sure he could sit through a meal listening to their abomination of chuckling.

"Ah, isn't my Teddy so sweet?" asked Amber, scooting over to sit even closer to Teddy. "Now eat your bacon honey."

_I hope she doesn't start using those… terms of endearment_ thought Teddy dolefully. It was one thing for Chase to jokingly refer to him as Teddybear, but if Amber started referring to him as Teddypoo or Teddykins, he would have a problem.

His momentary distraction gone, he couldn't help himself from glancing back over at the Hufflepuff Table. Christian and Emily were both laughing and Chase had found a small group of girls staring at him near the back of the hall.

He was grinning and winking at them, completely oblivious to the glares he was receiving from Taylor. Teddy also saw Victoire and Jake get up and begin their walk towards the doors of the Great Hall. He watched as Jake grabbed her hand and pulled her close near the entrance of the Great Hall, kissing her softly.

Not even fully aware of his actions, Teddy rocketed out of his seat. Ignoring Amber's surprised shouts; he marched over to the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw pair. He _needed _to confront Victoire and Jake. He _needed _to show how much of a bloody arse Jake was, even if she couldn't see it yet.

He continued taking his purposeful strides; he had already eclipsed a third of the distance between him and Victoire.

Most of the other students were oblivious to Teddy's actions. The gigglers were still preoccupied with Chase. Taylor and Chase were similarly ignorant. There was only a third-year Gryffindor girl and a fifth-year Hufflepuff boy that witnessed the scene, along with a Professor that had been walking alongside the Gryffindor Table. The teacher began to increase his pace as he watched the blue-haired prefect's recent actions.

"Poor Victoire" sighed Emily, looking down at the table.

"Teddy you _prat_" whispered Christian to no one in particular. Unlike Emily, he kept his gaze on Teddy as he began his march, wearing a stern face.

Teddy had now eclipsed more than half of the distance. He was still walking purposely, almost close enough to alert the pair of his presence.

He continued his fast pace when he was intercepted by an unlikely person.

"Ah Teddy! Just the man I wanted to see!" declared Professor Longbottom, walking towards the surprised prefect.

"Oh…um…hello Professor Longbottom" responded Teddy after a moment's pause. Looking around the man's shoulder to see if Victoire and the bastard were still in the hall.

"I must ask a favor of you young man. Are you busy?" he asked, looking at Teddy with a small smile on his face.

"Oh… well you know… I have classes soon and…some other things I need to take care o…" replied Teddy slowly, glancing at Victoire and Jake who were now leaving the Great Hall with Victoire leaning her head on the Ravenclaw's shoulder.

"Well that's great! Now, I've been experimenting with a few plants of mine, one of which is the Wandering Venomous Tentacula. Unfortunately, it seems to have escaped the greenhouse last night and I need it to be found quickly. It leaves a small path of residue so it shouldn't take you too long to find it" he interrupted with a smile.

"_Me _sir?"

"Why yes, I have a Herbology class I need to prepare for and I'm sure you'll finish before your first class."

"Oh…well maybe…I guess…but I really should be…" began Teddy, trying to sidestep the Professor.

Professor Longbottom also stepped to the side, again blocking his path to the entrance of the Great Hall.

"I'm sure you can grant me just this _one _favor" smiled Professor Longbottom.

Not finding a suitable reason to say no to the unusually persistent Herbology Professor, he reluctantly agreed to find the venomous plant.

"Brilliant. Oh and Teddy" he began, his expression suddenly becoming more serious "make sure you keep focused on your search. Every problem should be solved with a _level _head" finished the Professor, his eyes flicking towards the entrance of the Great Hall.

The Herbology Professor then left the Great Hall, assumedly to head towards the Greenhouses. Not feeling up to heading back to the Gryffindor Table to answer Amber's questions, he decided to begin his search for the wayward plant.

He left the Great Hall and noticed that Victoire and Jake had already left. He had no idea how to track the Wandering Venomous Tentacula in Hogwarts. Luckily, it didn't take long to locate the trail.

At least, Teddy assumed this was the trail of the nomadic plant. It looked like a mixture of dirt and some sort of residue he definitely didn't want to touch. It started from one of the windows and continued up the staircase. The plant had a long time to move through the castle last night and the trail could end almost anywhere.

Following the trail of dirt and…slime or pus, he couldn't quite decide… he arrived in a hallway that seemed oddly familiar. As he walked down the empty corridor, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had most definitely been here before, probably more than once.

As he was thinking hard on the subject, he missed the sight of the dark, red plant slithering slowly down the corridor. He almost stepped on the plant, but fortunately caught himself soon enough to side step it. Unfortunately, he was now much too close and received the trademark bite from the venomous plant, its sharp teeth sinking into the flesh of his leg.

Cursing as he jerked his leg back, the cut slightly dripping blood, he tripped over one of the many vines and landed on his now sore right cheek. Luckily, he was now far enough to dodge any more attacks and the plant seemingly lost interest as it renewed it quest down the corridor.

Rising to his feet, Teddy realized his new dilemma. Now that he had expertly tracked down the plant using all of his available resources, now what? How do you return to a drifting plant to a greenhouse? Should he stun the plant and carry it back, entice it with bait and lead it back, severe it moving roots and lug it back, or use some other tactic?

Not trusting himself enough with a severing charm on a moving creature and having no idea how to entice a Wandering Venomous Tentacula, he decided on the stunner approach. Aiming careful at what he considered the base of the plant, he fired a quick Stunner.

The spell collided with the plant with a direct hit and yet, with Teddy's good fortune, the leafy demon didn't stop moving. Instead, it turned its head, or what looked like the head, and began slithering back towards Teddy at a much faster pace, its tentacles flaring dangerously.

Teddy reacted by firing even more stunners at the plant. It seemed resistant to the spell, however, and continued its fast approach. Teddy scrambled backward, firing more hexes, until he felt his back collide with one of the many suits of armor lining the hallway. Trapped between the suit of armor and the wall, the only opening was about to be blocked by a rabid plant.

Not having another option, he was forced to attempt a leap over the plant in an attempt to get away, all the while firing wildly. After scraping himself on one of the many poisonous spikes during the improvised bound, he began a sprint down the hall, firing even more stunners over his shoulder. The plant also began its chase, intent upon sinking its barbs in the panicking prefect.

Thinking hard for another spell, he fired a small water spell at the floor, hoping the plant would stop. He had no such luck as the plant simply ran, or however the plant moved, right past the newly created puddle. He tried another spell, one he learned in Herbology, which created a small pile of dirt. Again, the plant moved right past the pile, not even glancing at the dirt mound.

Teddy was soon running out of corridor, approaching a steep staircase he was sure he wouldn't be able to sprint down without falling. Thinking hard on a spell that Victoire had once used on her Uncle Percy's new bowler hat, he recited the incantation, _Fecemus Maximus_, causing a hearty stream of fertilizer to shoot out of the tip of his wand.

The effect was immediate as the charging plant immediately stopped and rooted itself in the newly created heap of fertilizer. It took no longer for a second for the newly created stench to reach Teddy's nostrils. He now understood why Uncle Percy had decided to burn the bowler hat. After reassuring himself that the plant was indeed motionless, he relaxed against the nearest wall.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Teddy surveyed the damage caused by his rapid spell firing. He had destroyed no less than six windows, four suits of armor, one of which was on the ground holding its groin, and one of the many painting hanging on the walls of the corridor. Teddy could see the two hags in the painting waiting just inside the frame, standing on either side of the new gash in the center.

Taking a look back towards the center of the corridor, he walked towards the plant, which was now happily cooing as it snuggled itself farther in the steaming pile of…fertilizer.

"You cannot possibly blame _me _for the delay Urien!" shouted a voice climbing the stairs. Teddy eyes widened in shock, it probably wouldn't be the best to be caught in a destroyed corridor with a venomous plant rooted at the center. After casting a quick Disillusionment Charm that Professor Wispen had taught him on the Wandering Venomous Tentacula, he fired a small air-purifying charm around him and the green fiend.

He opened the closest door and found himself in a very familiar classroom. As he walked farther in, he saw the all-too-familiar stone base at the center; it was the same column base that he always visited during the full moon. He soon realized that's why the corridor seemed so familiar yet he couldn't ever remember seeing it. It was always dark when he wandered the halls near here, the brightened corridor obviously seemed alien to him.

Stranger yet was how he found the stone block by complete accident. During a full moon, he was always seemingly drawn to the stone base, as if it were calling to him. He always found himself standing before the stone block before the night was finished, running his finger over the missing piece. But now, when the full moon wouldn't rise until much later tonight, he felt no pull to be by its side. It was only when the white orb was full that he felt the urge.

Teddy's thoughts were interrupted when the door of the classroom began to open, the voices easily heard. He raced towards the corner of the room, trying his best to hide under a low-lying desk.

"I gave you ample _compensation _Ramsey, I expect results!" shouted one of the voices, sounding strangely familiar. Their bodies were still masked by the opening door, preventing Teddy from seeing their identities.

"I spent _five years_ searching the globe for those remnants! There is only one piece still missing, I would consider those _results_!" hissed the second voice. Teddy was hiding behind one of the desks pushed to the wall. He could tell the men, as they were distinctly male voices, had entered the seemingly abandoned classroom.

"Fool! You know The Column will not work unless _every _shard is placed in its exact position. You _must _locate that last piece Ramsey or I just may halt my… _services_" threatened the first voice, sounding much more menacing. He slammed the door of the classroom shut and moved towards the stone base. He was perhaps only ten feet from the hidden blue-haired student. Though he couldn't see it, he knew his hair was flashing through hundreds of different shades due to his nervousness.

Teddy watched as he bent near the stone base, his hand moving gently, almost caressing, the stone mass. His face was still blocked by the bottom of the desk that Teddy was crouched under.

"You can't! She needs that to survive Urien" pleaded the voice.

"Then you had better locate that last shard soon Ramsey. If you need more incentive, consider it a matter of _life _or _death_. Now leave, you mustn't let _Minerva_ get suspicious" finished the man leaning over the stone base, a malicious tone in his voice. The men began retreating towards the entrance of the classroom, fortunately oblivious to the presence of the Hufflepuff.

Curiosity gaining the better of Teddy, he couldn't help but peer from under the desk to see who the two men were. He had never heard of Urien or Ramsey before, but he knew blackmail when he saw it.

Slightly raising his head from under the desk, he caught a glimpse of the two men just before they closed the door behind them. He may not have known them as Ramsey and Urien, but he definitely knew who the two men were.

_Professor Jones_ and _Professor Vomis_.

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVT **

**I really hadn't planned to update this soon, but I loved the reviews so I sat down and wrote it anyway!**

**This chapter is part-one of Teddy's day. It was too hectic to put it all in one chapter. Part Two will also be TPOV. **

**So what do you think of Ramsey Jones and Urien Vomis?**

**Can you guess what The Column is? Or better yet…does?**

**Good Chapter or Bad Chapter? **

**All comments and suggestions are appreciated! Feedback is vital! **


	14. Long Day II

**Priestpotter:**

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**Izavox: Yes, this story will be only up to the end of fifth year. Depending on popular demand, I'll write a sequel for later years though I'll have to think of a new name. **_**Bluer and Blonder**_** is just awkward. **

**Sorry for the long wait! Love the reviews! Enjoy chapter XIV, Long Day II **

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTV**

Teddy found himself slowly walking down the deserted Hogwarts corridor, again lost in thought. Unlike most of his solitary wanderings, however, the moon hadn't yet claimed the sky. It was still early in the morning, though to Teddy it felt like an entire week's full of events had already passed.

The class bell had already rung, signally that Teddy was already late to his first class of the day; Charms. If he hurried down to the greenhouses he might just be able to avoid getting a detention from Professor Chang. He, unlike Chase who actively tried to have "one-on-one" detentions with the pretty Charms Professor, did not want to spend his Saturday writing lines.

It's not like Chase, or anybody for that matter, has even gotten remotely close to the Charms Professor, though not from lack of trying.

As he glanced out of one of the towering windows, he saw the threatening rain clouds as ominous as ever. The sound of the wind whipping by the window panes reverberated through the corridor, giving it an eerie effect. The clouds blocked the sun's entire bright and warm light, making the hallway far darker than a normal Monday morning.

Also unlike most mornings, or really _any _morning, he was levitating the still-cooing leafy demon down the corridor. Deciding that lugging the prefect-biting, cut-inducing plant down the hall was an absolute _ridiculous _notion, he had used a simple levitation charm to move both the Venomous Tentacula and its healthy mound of steaming fertilizer.

He was also desperately wishing he had learned the bubble-head charm his Godfather had mentioned. He had smelled worst, Percy's bowler for instance, but not much. He thought about re-casting the Disillusionment Charm, as it had worn off, but it wouldn't help with the ungodly smell anyway and he would rather be able to see the plant in case it began Round 2. The only thing worse than fighting a man-eating plant was fighting an _invisible _man-eating plant.

Despite the smell, and the momentarily sedated violent plant, Teddy replayed the scene over and over in his head. The longer he thought about the encounter he witnessed between Professor Jones and Professor Vomis, the more questions popped into mind.

Both Professor Jones _and _Professor Vomis knew about the stone base? They had even referred to it as The Column. Why would Professor Jones spend five years searching for the missing shards, as he had claimed? Why even bring it to Hogwarts?

Why were the shards even missing and what did Professor Vomis have to do with any of this? He had seemed almost…threatening. What _services_, as he referred to them, could he hold over Professor Jones. What was the connection?

Teddy was so absorbed in racking his brain for potential answers that he didn't realize that a rather unfortunate Hogwarts student had just rounded the corner. The unsuspecting student, staring at the corridor floor as he walked with his hands in the pocket of his robes, was completely oblivious to the shoulder-high floating Wandering Venomous Tentacula. Not until he had literally collided into the green demon did he realize just how bad his day had become.

A little known fact about vicious plants, except to Professor Longbottom of course, is that they do _not _appreciate being knocked into. _Especially _if some of their precious fertilizer drops in the process.

"_HOLY BLOODY HELL!"_

Teddy thoughts were instantly snapped as he heard the sudden yell. He looked up to see the mass of angry green tentacles attacking the incredibly unlucky Hogwarts student. Teddy pulled out his wand, acting completely on instinct. Deciding in a split second that he couldn't bait the plant, nor could he stun it, he would need to use severing charms.

He'd never attempted severing charms on such a fast moving target and with a need for exact precision. He did well in Charms, but it was by no means his best subject. But, as a prefect, and a wizard, he needed to act. And act _fast_. Dropping his levitation charm, which brought both the plant and the student crashing to the floor, he sprinted towards the attacking plant, leaping over several flailing tentacles.

He could hear the cries of the student, his wand already knocked from his hand. He was pinned under the surprisingly heavy body of the plant. Almost his entire face was either covered by the slick green midsection of the plant or by the dozens of barbed tentacles. The vicious plant had already landed several poisonous bites, causing wounds all over his hands and face. The poisonous barbs attacking his shoulders and arms, ripping the robes and the skin underneath.

Teddy sprinted towards the mass of flailing green tentacles and arms. He brought his wand into a firing position, a stance that had been pounded into the entire Hogwarts student body by Professor Wispen. Allowing his instincts to take over, Teddy leaped over a particularly long, a heavily barbed, tentacle, until he was standing directly over the panicking student. Carefully aiming at the tentacles attacking the student's face, he fired off three severing charms.

The effect was immediate. The painless, thought effective, curse severed the tentacles, allowing the student to better protect his face. The severed tentacle limbs immediately stopped moving, curly on the floor next to the student. Firing off more severing charms, the student's arms and shoulders were freed, though his hands were still clutching his face, blocking Teddy's view. The grasping arms of the vicious plant were still securely wrapped around his legs, the barbs digging in through the robes, determined to keep their grasp.

Teddy fired more severing charms, making sure to avoid hitting any human parts. The plant, however, did not seem as enthusiastic about the severing charms as Teddy was. Using one of its heavier tentacles, it rammed the barbed extension into his already cut leg, opening a sizable gash. It followed this with another strike, just below the opened wound.

Teddy howled in pain, but pressed on, he got this student into this and he needed to get him out.

After firing off almost a dozen more severing charms, the student kicked and pulled until he was completely freed and backed towards the wall, clutching his face with his injured hands. He fell back against the wall, not getting up from his sitting position.

Firing the fertilizer spell he had used earlier, the plant stopped, however briefly, attacking. If Teddy thought it actually had a brain, he knew it would be weighing his options. It could either attack its newest, or original, opponent or it could relish in the utmost bliss that was freshly procured feces.

Deciding that steaming fertilizer was more tempting than severing charms, the plant slowly backed up its intact tentacles were still waving violently. There was no doubt the cognizant plant was still wary of the wizard.

Sighing as he slowly backed up from the plant, silently agreeing with the obviously unspoken truce, he turned to look at the student he had both endangered and saved. Acting on instincts and adrenaline, he didn't really observe exactly _who _as being attacked.

Walking over to the wall, exhausted from his efforts, he slumped down next to the unknown victim. The pair sat there in silence, the only noise breaking the stillness was the hard sound of their breathing.

"You ok?" asked Teddy after a while. The soft cooing from the plant and the whistling of the wind swirling outside the castle now adding to the disturbance of the silence that pervaded the corridor.

"_Brilliant_" he answered weakly, holding a hand to his forehead. Teddy saw that the younger boy, a first year if had to guess, was running his free hand through his light brown hair, the other head still rubbing his temples over his grey eyes. On his right hand was a deep cut, one that was already beginning to pus, and another, deeper cut on his right cheek. There were already a few small trickles of blood leaking down from the freshly opened wounds.

"Yeah, I know what you mean" responded Teddy softly, resting his head on the wall of the corridor.

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes. The scene would have seemed odd to any passerbys. A fifth-year Hufflepuff prefect sitting next a first-year Slytherin, both of them only a few yards away from a Venomous Tentacula, sitting contently in a moderately large pile of dung. Then again, stranger things have happened. _Especially _at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Those cuts look pretty deep" observed Teddy, picking his head up to look at the younger student.

"Really? Oddly enough, that's how they feel too" he answered, more than a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice. He didn't pick his head off the wall of the corridor, electing to remain resting there with his eyes closed, his uninjured hand now rubbing his temples.

"I _meant _that we should get them looked at" responded Teddy, annoyed at the response. He was a little surprised by the cheekiness of the first year. Either first-years were bolder than he remembered or this Slytherin was just unique. He hoped it was the latter. Having arrogant, cocky eleven-year olds storming through the castle was a frightening prospect. Just under arrogant, cocky vicious plants that is.

"Well, I can't go to the Hospital Wing if that's what you're thinking" he answered, still not looking at the blue-haired prefect.

"What? Why not?" Teddy asked. Madam Pomfrey held no bias against Slytherins or first-years.

"I'm not exactly Madam Pomfrey's _favorite _patient" he shrugged.

"And why's that? You haven't exactly been here that long" asked Teddy, assuming that he was a first year, curious as to why he would avoid the Hospital Wing. He had been there a few times from rough Quidditch practices or matches and he agreed that it was usually unpleasant, but not unbearable.

"I've already been there before, in my first week, and let's just say we had a difference of opinion. I knew I was right, and she didn't know she was wrong" he answered, still not picking his head from off the corridor wall.

"How'd you land in the Hospital Wing?"

"Long story" he responded simply, after giving Teddy a quick glance.

"I'm not going anywhere for at least a little while" answered Teddy honestly. He was still too exhausted to return to the Greenhouses and he had no desire to turn up in Charms looking like he survived a warzone.

The younger year picked his head off the corridor for the second time, his grey eyes meeting Teddy's blue. Though Teddy didn't expect it from the first-year, he knew he was debating with himself. It seemed that not even the act of telling the Hufflepuff a story could be jumped into without careful planning. Slytherins were nothing if not planners.

"Ok. I was in a duel with Vincent Matthews my first week. He tried hitting me with a Banishing Charm, but I got him with a Blasting Hex first. He got knocked out when he blasted into a bathroom sink. It wasn't my fault really; _I _didn't leave the door to the bathroom open. He just had the proper aerodynamics to fly into a sink, could have happened to anyone really. Anyway, one of his cronies hit me with a Stunner and I blacked out."

Teddy stared at the first year. He _knew _Vincent Matthews. Vincent Matthews was a prefect, a _sixth _year prefect. Why in the name of Merlin's shaggy beard would a first year be dueling a sixth year? Finally he asked "why were you dueling a sixth year and what does this have to do with Madam Pomfrey?"

"Hold on there turbo, I was getting to that. Firstly, Matthews and I were dueling because he opened his big mouth about something he knows nothing about. As for Madam Pomfrey, well, when I woke up I realized I was in the Hospital Wing. I didn't see Matthews so he must have left before I woke up. Madam Pomfrey walked over to me brandishing this bottle of Skele-Grow for my wrist that must have broken when I fell. Anyways, she carries it like it was the Holy Grail even though I can't think of a reason to drink Skele-Grow for a broken wrist, and asked me if I wanted to get myself killed."

"What'd you say?" asked the prefect, remembering full well how overbearing Madam Pomfrey could become.

"Well I answered no of course! I said I planned on living forever. So far so good" he countered nonchalantly.

"Why would that make Madam Pomfrey upset?" asked Teddy, chuckling lightly when he pictured the first year talking back to Madam Pomfrey. Even Seventh years took orders without complaint from the aging Healer.

"It didn't. Although, a little while later she told me I may have to stay the night. I said I couldn't because I sleep in the nude _and _I sleepwalk. It wouldn't be fair to the other residents" he added.

"You don't really do you?" asked Teddy hesitantly.

"No, of course not. That's ridiculous…I don't sleepwalk" he replied matter-of-factly.

Teddy let out a small laugh, still not sure whether he was joking or not. After deciding he probably didn't want to know, he finally asked, "but that's why Madam Pomfrey doesn't like you? Because you didn't want to spend the night?"

"What? No, she doesn't like me because I may, or may not, have accused her of being a cold, heartless murderer after I spit out my Skele-Grow. In hind sight it probably wasn't the best response, but, in my defense, that potion was _foul_" he answered, shivering slightly at the end of his sentence as he remembered the horrible taste of the potion.

Teddy laughed before remembering the taste all too well, having to take Skele-Grow after a practically brutal loss to Slytherin in his third year. Two bludgers to the ribs will do that.

"Ok so the Hospital Wing is out, but how about we head down to the Greenhouses? I need to drop this plant off anyway, and I'm sure Professor Longbottom will have some salves for our cuts" suggested Teddy, not having a better plan. The first-year simply shrugged his shoulders, conceding he didn't have a better plan either.

Teddy slowly rose to his feet, slightly wincing from the pain in his leg. As he turned around, he stuck out a hand for the first-year Slytherin. Though he hadn't planned it, Teddy knew that he was offering more than a helping hand, he was offering a truce between the Hufflepuff prefect and first-year Slytherin, he was offering a friendship.

The younger boy, stared at the hand for a split second, suffering a moment's hesitation, finally he glanced up, his grey eyes meeting Teddy's blue, before accepting the hand, the truce, and the friendship. Fighting green, leafy demons can work wonders on forging friendships after all. Teddy helped the boy up, nodding his head when he was securely on both feet.

He re-casted the air-purifying spell and levitated the exotic killer plant as well. The unlikely pair began their trek towards the Greenhouses, walking a brisk pace. They didn't want to remain in the company of the Wandering Venomous Tentacula any longer than needed. As they made their way towards the Great Hall, their conversation settled upon seemingly every Wizard's favorite subject…

Quidditch.

***

"Come on! Why can't you just admit that our win was impressive?" asked Teddy, a wide grin on his face.

"It _was _impressive. I already said that! My House was stunned for about an entire week after that match. I'm just saying that you'll have to play like the Montrose Magpies to upset Gryffindor" he responded, raising his hands in a mock defeat.

"Can't you just agree with me that we have at least a decent shot of winning the cup this year?" asked Teddy, trying to meet him halfway.

"But I can't! If I agree with you then we'd _both _be wrong" he laughed. Both boys enjoyed a laugh before there was another lull in their conversation.

They continued their quest towards until they had passed the threshold of the Great Doors. They turned to the right, easily finding the path towards the school Greenhouses. As they continued down the path, however, Teddy attention was diverted when he saw a man standing by the edge of the Forbidden Forest, apparently alone.

After a few seconds of trying to identify him, he realized it was Professor Wispen, his Defense teacher. He was standing by the edge of the forest, a fair distance from Hagrid's Hut, in his teacher's robes, and he was _petting _the air in front of him. There wasn't any other word to describe it for he was definitely _petting _the air in front of him and, if Teddy could see correctly, he was whispering softly as well, almost as if there was something standing there with him.

He hoped they weren't overworking the poor man. If he was beginning to hallucinate, then he needed to take some more Holiday time.

His attention was brought back to the first-year Slytherin keeping pace with him when he heard him ask,"so you had to track down this plant as a prefect? That's kind of a raw deal" he laughed, still reminiscing about his round with the vicious plant.

"Yeah it's a tough life alright. You know, speaking of being a prefect, I am obligated to ask why you were skipping class this morning and why you were dueling a fellow prefect, even if it was Matthews" he stated, trying to phrase the sentence just right. For some reason he didn't want to try intimidating the first-year even though he was four years his senior. For one thing, Teddy wasn't really that type of person as it was hard to intimidate with electric blue hair falling shaggily over your eyes, and secondly, he seriously doubted he could intimidate _this_ first-year.

"Hm, you're playing that card eager beaver?" responded the Slytherin, obviously thinking over the statement with a small smile on his face," well how about this, I'll answer _one _of those questions, I'll even let you choose."

"…Ok. I'm obviously not going to be able to force it out of you. How about… why were you dueling Matthews? He is five years your senior and he's perfected spells you haven't even heard of. You really could have been seriously hurt despite what you think of Hogwarts esteemed Healer" he asked, "and it's Badger, not beaver" he added with a grin.

"Honestly…Badger, it really wasn't my fault. I was walking up to the dormitories when he opened his fat trap. I had no choice, but to duel" he conceded.

"But _what _did he say? No insult can be that bad to automatically engage in a duel" countered Teddy, confused by the first-years reasoning.

"No, some insults are. He insulted my family. A subject he knows nothing about. I can't…_elaborate_, but my Mother made a few choices that made her…unpopular…with some of the other pureblood families. Matthews wasn't the first and he won't be the last, but I still couldn't let it stand. I will earn back the respect my Mother and Father deserve, even if it takes my entire life" vowed the first-year, his voice growing noticeably more serious. There was no sarcasm; he meant exactly what he said.

Teddy stayed silent for a few moments, reworking the first-year's statement over in his head. He seemed so determined. How could one so young be so passionate about a subject like family respect? When _he _was eleven, all he did was worry about his Transfiguration grades and what was for dinner that night.

"You know, you don't seem like most Slytherins. I know they put a lot of stock in families, but it's usually just to aid their own pursuits" observed Teddy. His Godfather had to deal with a lot of pureblood families at the Ministry so he knew the basics about family politics.

"I call what I do justice. But the Sorting Hat called it ambition. You could say that's why I was placed in the House of Green and Silver. Not that I resent it. Slytherin is an amazing House, and its perfect for my goals, I just need to maneuver around the people _inside _the House." The pair arrived at the Greenhouses following this statement, the plant still happily oblivious to its change in surrounding and Teddy mulling over this latest surprisingly wise statement from the eleven-year old.

As they approached the nearest Greenhouse they saw Professor Longbottom calmly standing outside its doors with a small smile painted on his face. He seemed to be watching the class inside the walls of the Greenhouses. The glass walls of the Greenhouse were completely fogged up, obscuring any views inside the Greenhouse besides the small gap that Professor Longbottom was peering through.

As they approached the Greenhouse, Teddy could just make out several animated shouts from inside the Greenhouse. There also seemed to be a constant noise that sounded like a barrage of some sort.

"_Bloody hell Craig, it got away again!"_ shouted a distinctly male voice.

"_Ow! My pancreas!"_ yelled a different voice, this one female.

Exchanging looks, the pair slowly made their way closer, walking straight up to the apparently amused Herbology Professor.

"Ah, Teddy well done, I see you tracked down my sneaky friend" announced the Herbology Professor, realizing their presence, "fifteen points to Gryffindor. Oh and fifteen points to Slytherin as well" congratulated Professor Longbottom, looking away from the commotion in the Greenhouse and obviously assuming correctly that the Slytherin played a role in capturing the wayward Herbology experiment.

"I'll just put this little rascal in a permanent-sticking pot and then help you with those cuts" he added, noticing the cuts on Teddy and the Slytherin. Another loud crash emanated from the closed doors of the Greenhouse.

"_Mooncalf dung that was close!" _

"But sir" began the first-year "shouldn't you be teaching your class?" he asked, pointing to the greenhouse where the loud crashing sounds had somehow gotten even more deafening.

"What? Oh, my Gryffindor and Ravenclaw third years are having their first round of fun with the bouncing blubs today. Funny little devils they are. Almost impossible to catch when they get going. They'll only give you some minor bruising though, so it's safe for me to leave them unattended for a few moments" he replied, waving his hand dismissively.

"_I think I can hit it with a hex!"_ shouted a voice above the ruckus. This statement was followed by a deafening explosion followed by many shouts that sounded surprisingly close to "_you git_"and "_bloody moron_."

"So did you a lot of trouble finding him? He can be quite the little mischief maker when he wants to" looking, if possible, _lovingly _at the fertilizer-rooted plant.

"Oh you know, finding him wasn't so bad. Getting him back here was a little more…_challenging_" he answered vaguely. He really didn't want Professor Longbottom to know about their tassel with the plant.

"I see that" he answered with a grin, looking at the numerous small wounds and cuts covering their bodies. "I look forward to hearing that story one day."

Professor Longbottom the turned towards the Wandering Venomous Tentacula, casting his own levitation charm and walking towards towards the neighboring Greenhouse. He seemed to be whispering affectionately to the plant levitated in front of him. If Teddy doubted that one could love plants _too _much, he no longer did now. After a few minutes he returned, brandishing a small vile filled with a yellow paste.

"Here you go, just spread this over those cuts and it will speed up the healing process while absorbing any traces of venom in the wound" announced the Professor after returning.

"_Merlin's testi…"_

Luckily for Teddy and the first-year, the rest of the exclamation was drowned out by another series of loud thumps. It seemed that the Bouncing Bulbs were only becoming even more dangerous. He was thankful for the now opaque wall separating him from the Herbology war zone. He didn't feel like watching the carnage just on the other side of the thick glass. 

"Thank you sir. I'll go apply this in my common room if you don't mind, do you need any?" asked the first year towards Teddy, drawing his attention back to the exterior of the Greenhouse.

"No thanks, one of us can still show their face in the Hospital Wing" he answered.

"Suit yourself" he replied before turning around and beginning his trek towards the castle. After walking about ten yards, he suddenly stopped, looking over his shoulder at the blue-haired prefect.

"My name's Tristan by the way. Tristan Davis."

Teddy nodded, showing he heard and appreciated the gesture. Slytherin were guarded and this first-year was no different. "My name's Teddy… "

"Lupin. Yeah, I know. After our last match, everyone in the Snake Pit knows the name of the blue-haired Keeper."

Teddy let a small laugh as Tristan turned and continued his walk towards the castle. He may not have known him for very long, but he knew Tristan Davis wasn't like any other first-year he had met. No, that was for certain.

"_Ah! It got me in the jugular Pete!"_

The shout brought both the attention of Professor Longbottom, who had been staring at the edge of the forest, and Teddy back down to the Greenhouse. Teddy turned to see that although Professor Wispen had already left, Professor Longbottom was staring at roughly the same spot on the edge of the forest.

His Herbology teacher gave a small, almost sorrowful, sigh before turning to look at the awaiting blue-haired Hufflepuff.

"I better go back in there Mr. Lupin. Class will end in about two minutes and I need to show them how to immobilize the bouncing bulbs effectively. I have a feeling they may appreciate it more after this class" he stated with a smile, though it seemed more forced than before he glanced towards the edge of the forest.

Professor Longbottom stood in front of the closed doors, seeming like he was steeling himself for the battlefield he was about to enter. As he opened the door, just wide enough for him to enter, Teddy saw dozens of zooming green, round bulbs bouncing wildly off the walls, floor, and even the ceiling of the greenhouse.

The scene actually reminded him of a favorite prank he had pulled on a certain red-haired Ministry employee with horn-rimmed glasses many years ago. The memory brought a faint smile to his face.

Just before the door closed, he saw the unmistakable flash of silver-blond hair. Hair that he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt belonged to Victoire Weasley.

***

A couple minutes later, with Teddy leaning against the walls of the greenhouse, the Herbology class began to file out. The third years, from both Houses, were grumbling mutinously as they trudged out of the Greenhouse.

The Gryffindors were known for being fiercely loyal to their Head of House, not that you could tell right now. A few of the students were muttering under their breath about their Head, the least offensive of which was Professor Dungmelon and only escalated from there.

Most of the tired students were nursing their bruised heads and necks. Some were even sporting rather impressive black eyes. The yellow and purple bruising were already beginning to show, a testament to their most recent Herbology lesson.

"He could have showed us that spell _before _he let loose those blubs" grumbled one Ravenclaw third year boy.

"Believe me Sam, I totally agree with you. Hold on a minute I need to tie my trainer" responded another Ravenclaw boy with a cut lip, bending down to obviously tie the aforementioned trainer.

After searching the ranks of students filing out, Teddy finally spotted the blond hair of his childhood best friend. She was walking beside Emily, both rubbing their arms, apparently trying to lessen the sting of bruises, looking equally upset as the rest of the class.

Most of the class had removed their dirt-covered school robes in favor of their slightly cleaner muggle clothing underneath. Victoire and Emily were no different.

She was wearing a pair of ripped jeans, whether they had been ripped _before _the class began he might never know, and a simple red long-sleeved shirt with a Gryffindor Lion on the sleeve. Emily was similarly garbed and she too was carrying her school robes under her left arm.

"Hey Victoire" waved Teddy, still leaning on the wall of the Greenhouse. His Hufflepuff robes were ripped from the encounter with the plant, but he didn't think he needed to remove them yet. After countless Quidditch practices, one became used to wearing less-than-clean robes.

"Teddy? What are you doing here?" asked Victoire, instantly recognizes the voice and finding the blue-haired prefect leaning on the wall of the surprisingly still intact Greenhouse. The fogged glass had dissipated somewhat, revealing the shattered pots and clay shards littering the floors, the legacy of the recent skirmish.

"Long story" laughed Teddy,"let's just say we've both had our fill of Herbology this morning."

"Ok, whatever you say" laughed Victoire though slightly confused by his cryptic answer. "Emily and I are walking back up to the castle, are you coming?" she asked, gesturing towards the path to the castle.

Teddy nodded, knowing it probably wouldn't be the best to miss two classes that day, especially since his next one was Potions. He soon fell in stride with the blond and the dark haired girl as they began their walk towards the castle. Most of the class had already left, leaving only Victoire, Emily, Teddy, and two Ravenclaws who had also briefly stayed at the Greenhouses.

"So what do you have left today?" asked Victoire, looking at the blue-haired prefect on her right.

"Just Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, and History of Magic. What about you two?" he asked.

"Ugh, I still have Divination to go to" groaned Victoire, clenching her fists dramatically. "Have you seen Champ yet today?" asked Victoire. Teddy visited Champ almost every day; he loved playing with the orphaned pup. He had even taken him flying on his broomstick one evening, the puppy safely snuggled in his jacket, his tongue waving lazily in the wind. Now that Hagrid had found homes for his brothers and sisters, Teddy found himself spending even more time with the blue-eyed puppy.

"No not yet, I'll probably head down during lunch, you?" he responded.

"Yeah I played with him this morning. Hagrid said that Claw has pretty much adopted him, size difference and all" she laughed. Teddy laughed as well, picturing Champ riding on the _much _larger dog's back.

"Oh Emily, you have Divination too?" he asked, this time looking at the raven haired girl he had almost forgot was walking with them.

"Oh, no. I've decided to pick up Ancient Runes and Arithmancy instead. They seem more interesting" she answered quickly, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah, she _suddenly _thinks they're more interesting. You just want a reason for your boyfriend to spend even more time "tutoring" you in "private" sessions" answered Victoire, using air quotations for unneeded emphasis, a wide grin on her face.

"Shut up" responded Emily though she had a small smile on her face and a blush creeping up. "Wait what time is it? Oh I have to go! Christian said he would take me to my next class, I need to get back to the tower and change if we're going to have any time to find someplace to…_walk_" she finished with a hesitation, suddenly catching herself before she ended her sentence.

Victoire and Teddy took one glance at each other before bursting out laughing. Emily's blush, before fairly faint, was now incredibly red, as she jogged back up towards the castle.

"Say Hi to Christian for me!" shouted Teddy, a grin on his face.

"Me too! Only if you get enough time to speak to each other instead of all that …_walking_… you'll be doing!" yelled Victoire, a wide grin on her face.

After a few more minutes of laughing, hard enough so that they had actually stopped their walk towards the castle, the pair finally caught their breath. They were standing by the edge of the lake, the wind beginning to pick up. It was already fast enough for Victoire hair to begin whipping around while she tried in vain to control it.

The storm clouds overheard seemed even more menacing, as if they were gathering before their eventual onslaught. The small waves on the surface of the usually calm lake were beginning to become more pronounced, pounding the shores.

"It's going to storm out soon" observed Teddy, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, I wonder if will last until tonight. I love walking the corridors at night, but when it lightening storms, they can seem kind of…menacing" she added, also gazing at the gathering storm clouds overhead. "I wonder if Quidditch Practice will be canceled?" asked Victoire suddenly.

"I don't have practice today" responded Teddy, confused by the question. He never had Quidditch Practices on Monday, at least not this far from their next match. Gryffindor and Slytherin played in a little under a month while Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw played about a month after that; the day before the Winter Holidays.

"What? I was talking about Ravenclaw. Jake said his Captain had scheduled a Quidditch Practice almost every night since their opening match" she answered.

If Teddy had been thinking clearly, he would have agreed that for the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team, practicing every night probably wasn't a bad idea. They had been flattened by Gryffindor in their opener, losing by over two-hundred and fifty point; one of their worst defeats in decades.

As it were, Teddy _wasn't _thinking clearly.

He had been trying to get Victoire alone for at least a couple of weeks now. He finally had an opportunity to prove to Victoire just how much of an arse Jake was. An opportunity he was determined not to squander.

Teddy turned to look at the choppy lake, the water now spilling over the shore line. It seemed the potential storm was only building, gaining more steam for its onslaught.

"You know he's a foul _git_ right?" asked Teddy, not taking his eyes off the lake.

"Who? Professor Longbottom? I mean yeah, releasing those Bouncing Bulbs on us was a little…unorthodox, but I wouldn't call him a git" she answered, completely misinterpreting the statement.

"No not Professor Longbottom" he answered turning to look at Victoire. Her soft blue eyes were staring back incredulously, trying to decide who he was talking about.

"Jake Merriman is a git" he said, harsher than he had planned. He knew he wanted to convince Victoire this was an absolute truth, but he probably shouldn't have done it so…bluntly.

"I'm sorry, I must have misheard you. I could've sworn you just called my _boyfriend _a git" she replied, her normally soft blue eyes boring into Teddy's. The same blue eyes he had tried to wear on countless occasions and yet, he had never got them just right. When he looked in the mirror, there was always something absent, something that only _her _eyes possessed. Something that even Metamorphmagus abilities couldn't duplicate.

"Why are you with this guy anyway? He struts around the castle like he owns the place and he obviously only cares about himself" he responded, his voice unconsciously growing louder.

"He does _not _strut" her voice rising with his, the scene beginning to escalate.

The wind, inconceivably, had continued to pick up; becoming a minor gale. The clouds were beginning to clash together and the faint sounds of crackling thunder could be heard just over the edge of the mountain range. The rumbling of thunder was approaching closer and closer to the awaiting castle grounds.

"And he treats me well. He cares when I'm alone, he cares when I'm sad or frightened, and he cares about _me_!" she finished, her eyes beginning to well up despite her best efforts.

"We all care about you! Amber will come around and if Emily is spending a little more time with Christian then we can work it out. I won't let them ignore you or anything" he answered, trying to console her.

"Amber?! Emily?! You think we're talking about _them_?! Are you _bloody _serious?! You know what Teddy, just stay away from me. I didn't need you then and I don't need you _now_" she ended, shouting at the taller, yet much more intimidated, prefect. As she willed the tears not to fall, she turned on her heel and storming towards the Great Doors.

The wind whipped violently, the branches of the trees lining the lake and the edge of the forest threatening to tear off.

Teddy stared as she walked away; stunned at fast the scene had escalated. The strong wind causing his robes to flap furiously around his still body.

She opened the Great Doors with a sharp jab of her wand, never looking back at the stunned blue-haired prefect. As the Great Doors slammed behind her, the wind stopped. It didn't slow, it stopped. _Instantly_. As if Merlin himself was controlling the Scottish weather. The sky was, for perhaps the fraction of a second, completely clear. Teddy had a completely unobstructed look towards the recently closed Great Doors, his eyes unflinching. The branches stopped swaying, the lake cleared, and the sky was…_empty_.

And then it opened.

The clouds that had threatened all morning, released their attack upon the world. The rain, pouring down relentlessly, soon covered the entire grounds in their arrival. The surface of the lake, which had been rocked by waves, was now covered by the large ripples made by each drop as they fell, too numerous to count.

His blue hair stuck to his forehead, the rain running down uninhibited down his face, creating lines of water runoff down his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. And still, he stared at the door, wondering just how bad he had ruined that conversation, that argument, that…fight.

They used to joke about how they never fought, what happened. He hadn't done anything wrong; right? At least he didn't _think _he did. Victoire was probably upset about something. Yeah, that was it. She would come around eventually, he could hold out until then.

_What could possibly happen? _

And still, his anger and frustration momentarily getting the better of him, he kicked a small boulder near the edge of the disturbed lake. The rock eventually rolled into the uneven surface of the dark lake, but not before breaking three toes on the right foot of the wizard.

Shouting and cursing like Victoire's Uncle Ron when the Chuddley Cannons lost every weekend, he hobbled onto one foot. He turned his head to see the two Ravenclaws standing under the overhang of the castle roof, shielded from the reach of the downpour. They seemed to have witnessed the whole scene as they stared at Teddy with stern looks. Still keeping their glares, they moved towards the Great Doors, still under the protection of the castle roof. They approached the Great Doors, before moving into the awaiting hall.

If Teddy wasn't clutching his broken toes, soaked in a tremendous storm, and frustrated at his argument with Victoire, he would have realized they were about to tell their prefect what they had witnessed.

Their _fifth year_ prefect with the pretty, blond Gryffindor girlfriend that is.

Teddy glared as they entered the Great Doors, though he didn't follow. He stayed outside, letting the rain run through his soaked hair and down his face. His Hufflepuff robes were soaked completely through, the cold rain pressing on his body, sending a shiver through his body. His brought a hand to his face to wipe of the excess water.

The same face that had anger and frustration etched on its surface. If one were really concentrating though, they would have seen the sadness, small but clearly evident, residing just below the surface. So hidden that not even the owner was fully aware of it.

Teddy realized that standing in the rain, listening as the thunder drew ever closer, wasn't going to help him. Walking towards the entrance to the castle, his head bowed, water droplets falling to the ground in front of him, he decided to head towards the Hospital Wing. He needed a salve and few swigs of Skele-Grow anyway.

Just before entering the threshold of the awaiting doors, standing just within the reach of the pounding storm, he steadied himself for another long day and a night he would undoubtedly spend alone.

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

**I ended up hacking off most of the fight scene, making it short and sweet. It seemed more natural.**

**Took me forever to get Tristan just right! I must have changed that conversation a thousand times! Tell me what you think of him, he's was by far the toughest OC to write. **

**Even more than Professor Wispen who will play several roles in this story. **

**Oh yeah, and something else… I'm SORRY! I didn't update for THREE WEEKS! This is just unacceptable for me!**

**The reviews were amazing and I WILL update faster, especially if I receive all those amazingly awesome reviews. They help like you wouldn't believe. **

**Keep those reviews coming! Please!**

**Next Chapter is VPOV.**


	15. Chocolate Flavored Promises

**Disclaimer: I am still not JKR**

**Priestpotter:**

**Over 100 reviews! That's amazing! Keep it up!**

**A special thanks to those who have reviewed consistently. You know who you are! THANK YOU**

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

"Rise and shine buttercup" cooed Victoire, gently nudging her best friend, a dark-haired third-year Gryffindor. Emily, like most of her friends, was a notoriously late sleeper. She was fairly certain that the first thing Emily thought about after getting up was when she could go back to sleep.

Victoire, however, was often the first one up at her house, just eclipsing her Mother by a couple of hours. Then comes her Dad, then Louis, and finally, Dominique, a _distant _fifth. Only Quidditch could get _that_ ten year old out of bed.

"Wha…what?" muttered a sleepy Emily. She lifted her head slowly, gazing at Victoire groggily. She turned to pick up the watch on her bedside table, holding it close to her face, trying to decipher the meaning of the tiny hands with her lethargic brain. After staring at the hands of her clock for a few seconds, her mind finally registered that it was only 8 a.m… on a _Saturday_. She shot Victoire a dirty look before turning away from her and flopping down on her pillow tiredly.

"Oh come on! You said you really wanted to meet Champ! Let's head down to Hagrid's Hut" urged Victoire, nudging her sleeping dark-haired friend even harder. She had both her hands on Emily, rocking her back and forth in her bed energetically.

"Get up!" she whined even louder, though she had a wide grin on her face. Waking Emily was one of her favorite pastimes.

"Later. It's…too…bloody…early" answered Emily through her pillow, her eyes still closed, determined to fall back asleep despite the thrashing she was receiving.

"You only have _two_ days at Hogwarts before the break! You can sleep all you want on the Hogwarts Express" pleaded Victoire, momentarily stopping her rocking. Emily, however, showed no intention of moving. She rolled over, pulling her blanket farther up and putting another pillow over her head to block out the noise of a certain overeager blond Gryffindor.

Sighing and shaking her head at her friend, Victoire turned out the window at the new day. The morning sun shone in through the many windows adorning the Gryffindor Tower, brightening the third-year girls' dormitory. Only Victoire, and hopefully Emily, were awake. Victoire noticed that the grounds seemed calm. There was little wind and the freshly fallen sheet of white snow lay unharmed.

Scottish weather was unpredictable at the best of times and mind befuddling at the worst. Last night had been cool enough to allow a fresh, crisp layer of pure white snow to fall on the grounds and yet, with the sun shining brightly and the sky clear, it looked warm enough now for only a light jacket.

Victoire turned her attention away from the window, putting all her concentration on her current predicament, a sleeping Emily Bishop.

After contemplating her newest problem for a few seconds, Victoire quickly decided on a new tactic. One she was positive would get the dark-haired Gryffindor out of bed.

"You know, you're right Emily, we probably don't have to go Hagrid's now. Although, now that I think about, I might have left some Honeydukes _chocolate _down at Hagrid's Hut, but I'll probably just send a note saying he can have it" she sighed, turning her back from Emily. It wasn't her finest performance, but for Emily, it would more than suffice.

As she started her deliberately slow walk back to her bed, she began her count…

3…

2…

1…

"Did you say _Honeydukes_ chocolate?!" asked Emily, now suddenly wide awake and resting on her elbows to look at Victoire. She had almost a wild expression on her face as she asked the question, no doubt thinking about the absolutely delicious chocolate she wasn't yet consuming. It seemed there _was _one thing she loved more than sleep.

It was probably mean, and a little unfair, to use chocolate as leverage against Emily, the biggest sweet tooth she had ever met, but there was no way she was walking through the foot of snow to Hagrid's by herself. _That _was for sure.

"Who? Me? I just said I _might _have left some creamy, delicious, mouth-watering Honeydukes chocolate at Hagrid's. I'll just let him eat it though, he's been a good friend" she shrugged innocently as she absentmindedly tidied up her bed, succeeding for the moment in keeping the smirk off her face.

"I'm a good friend!" yelled Emily, her eyes still wide with the anticipation of chocolate. "I would _love _to go see Champ now. You know that silly" she answered more softly while furiously getting dressed, pulling her jeans over her pajamas and shoving on her snow boots.

"Oh really? That's so nice of you, but why don't you sleep for a while? I'll just send a quick owl to Hagrid's" she answered sweetly.

"No!" shouted Emily, putting her hands in front of her forcefully, "I mean, you don't need to do that. Let's just walk down there now, ok?" she asked after getting dressed in record time. She was already trying to get Victoire to leave the dormitory, the first step towards receiving Honeydukes finest.

"Well… ok, if you want to" replied Victoire, all the while thinking that it was almost too easy. _Almost_. "I'll meet you in the common room, I just need to get something out of my trunk first."

As Emily practically ran down the steps of the girls' dormitory, Victoire opened her trunk to find her last piece of Honeydukes sweets. Emily might not have to actually _go_ down to Hagrid's for chocolate, but Victoire would need a death wish if she didn't deliver on her promise of chocolate eventually.

She would rather challenge an Erumpent to a head-butting contest than withhold promised chocolate from Emily. Yes, it was that serious.

After finding her bribe, she walked down the winding girl's dormitory staircase and to meet an extremely antsy Emily in the common room. They quickly exited through the portal, careful not to wake the Fat Lady as they left, lest they receive a stern talking to from a piece of canvas.

The pair easily made it to the Great Doors through the quiet castle. Saturday mornings, without Quidditch matches of course, usually left the castle, and its grounds, fairly deserted. Even Peeves waited until later to cause mayhem on the weekends. Though a bit surprised that Emily wasn't talking much, the look in her eyes and the speed of her walk, showed her mind was still occupied with her favorite sweet.

"I can't believe it's almost the Winter Holidays, it seems like it was autumn just yesterday" suddenly acknowledged Emily, as they walked down to the Gamekeeper's Hut. The weather, for lack of a better word, was perfect. The temperature was just cool enough for jackets, with a layer of pure white snow covering the ground. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, the endless blue extending in every direction towards the horizons.

With this sudden, though not unwelcome, increase in temperature, they may very well receive _rain_ instead of snow in the future. Though, judging by the lack of clouds, they weren't likely to receive either.

"I know, the last few months seemed like they just flew by" agreed Victoire. She had been busy. Third-year work was easily twice as hard as second-year and with all the time she had been spending with Jake, autumn had fallen into winter before she even noticed.

"So it's just the Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff match tomorrow, and then home on the Hogwarts Express" she sighed. It may seem unorthodox to have the students take the train back for the Winter Holidays on a Sunday after a Quidditch Match, but then again, what at Hogwarts _wasn't _unorthodox? After all, weren't they about to visit a half-giant Care of Magical Creatures Professor while passing a lake home to a giant squid?

"Yeah, so you'll be wearing yellow and black I'm assuming?" asked Victoire, turning her head as they neared the Hut. The only break in the snow was the line of footprints behind them and a faint line of footsteps leading from a different direction towards the Hut. Obviously, they weren't the first to visit the friendly Keeper of Keys.

"Yup, and you'll be decked out in blue and bronze I'm guessing?" replied Emily, who seemed to have calmed down a bit since the initial thought of chocolate had entered her adolescent mind. If Victoire hadn't known better, however, she would have thought there was a bit of iciness in her question.

"Yes" she answered, without a moment's hesitation. Emily didn't carry on the conversation, but just looked ahead towards the approaching Hut.

"Hmm" was the only answered she received.

"What?" asked Victoire, looking over at her best friend and Gryffindor tower dorm mate.

"It's nothing…I just…" whatever Emily was about to say about her attire decision, she'll never know, as from one of the many trees and bushes lining the property of the Hut, came a long, low-note cry.

Victoire whipped her head around towards the cry, emanating from one of the taller trees, to see a greenish-black vulture sitting on one of the low-hanging branches. His mournful cry filled the silence that had fallen on the grounds, continuing for what seemed an eternity. The sorrowful sound sent a slight chill down her spine.

"Merlin no" whispered Emily, clapping a hand to her mouth. The mournful vulture-like bird eventually ended his cry, only to stare at the Gryffindor pair with his large, yellow eyes.

"What is it?" asked Victoire, not understanding why Emily was so suddenly shocked by the cry of the mysterious bird. She hadn't been to Hagrid's since before the last big rainstorm and this bird _certainly _had not been perched there before.

"It's an augurey" she whispered even softer, not tearing her eyes off the bird. The ominous looking stared back at the two students, his eyes unblinking. The bird shifted slightly on the branch, exposing more of his dark-green and black feathers.

"A what?" questioned Victoire. She loved Care of Magical Creatures, but they hadn't studied this mournful-looking bird before and she was fairly positive it wasn't on the grounds earlier.

"An augurey" she whispered a little more forcefully, this time looking at Victoire, "it only flies during the heaviest of rainstorms, stopping only to perch on low lying branches between downpours."

Emily looked over her shoulders before slightly leaning in towards Victoire, "its cry is said to foretell death. Some people consider it a death omen Vic" she finished, her eyes wide with fear.

Victoire stared at Emily, trying to comprehend this new information. Could the cry of animal really foretell death?

Her Uncle Ron _had _once told her the story of her Great Uncle Bilius. Supposedly, he died twenty-four hours after spotting a Grim. She hadn't really taken him seriously at the time, though, as her Aunt Hermione then proceeded to smack him across the head for telling outlandish stories about the Grim to a nine year old.

She doubted the existence of the Grim, but if any animal could be an omen of death, it would be this vulture-like creature. His mournful appearance was only surpassed by the sorrow of his cry.

So if this augurey's cry is a death omen, and they were both perfectly healthy, then the omen must be for…

"Hagrid!" shouted Victoire, finishing her thought out loud. Emily's eyes grew even wider as she drew the same conclusion.

The two girls sprinted the remaining twenty yards, barging through the unlocked door without bothering to knock. Victoire's mind was reeling with possible scenarios, most of which included Hagrid lying still on the floor of his Hut.

They threw open the door, crashing into the Hut and searching the small space frantically to see…

…Hagrid sipping on a newly brewed cup of tea.

***

Oddly enough, he didn't even seem surprised. He was still calmly sitting in his massive chair, reaching for the rock cakes that only he could eat.

"Oh 'ello Victoire, Emily, wonderin' when you'd come an' see me" he spoke with a wide grin through his bushy, and untamed, beard.

The adrenaline still pumping through Victoire, it took her a while to comprehend the scene, even if it was completely normal looking. In front of the fire lay Claw, sitting lazily with his ears drooping. When the door had been suddenly thrown open, the massive dog had only picked up its large head, saw the Gryffindors, and promptly lay back down.

The _ultimate_ guard dog.

Near Claw, or more accurately _on _Claw, was Champ, running around with the energy that only a puppy has. He was tugging on one the massive drooped ears, obviously trying to make the much larger dog play with it.

When the pair had entered, Champ looked over, his head slightly cocked to the side with his pink tongue hanging lazily out of his mouth. His golden and black face shone with excitement and his forked tail had already been painlessly severed, as was customary for any pet Crup. Recognizing Victoire, he gave a small bark before running over; realizing his chances of finding someone to play with had just skyrocketed.

Victoire and Emily, who had both come to their senses and were more than a little embarrassed about their…_enthusiastic_…entrance, bent down to pick up the excited puppy. With Champ in Victoire's arms, the excited dog trying to lick her face while his tail wagged furiously, she made her way over to the friendly half-giant. It was only when she could see over the back of the next chair that she realized Hagrid wasn't having tea for one.

The man had short red hair, a cut off Holyhead Harpies t-shirt, and built arms covered with shiny burns.

"Uncle Charlie!" screamed Victoire, a huge grin on her face as she ran over to hug her favorite Uncle. Charlie looked down with an equally large smile on his face.

"Hey kiddo. I see Uncle Ron's talent for subtle entrances have rubbed off on you" he laughed.

"Oh shut up" replied Victoire, trying to sound harsh, but failing to keep the smile off her face. "This is my friend Emily. She's in Gryffindor too" added Victoire, introducing Emily, who had been standing near the entrance nervously. She didn't know Hagrid nearly as well and she had only ever heard stories of Victoire's dragon-taming Uncle Charlie.

"Hello Professor Hagrid, Charles Weasley" introduced Emily. She made a few hesitant steps inside the Hut, bending down to scratch behind the ears of Claw. The massive dog obviously enjoyed it as he rolled over onto his back, his tongue hanging loosely from his mouth, an obvious invitation to rub his massive belly.

"Now no need for this 'Professor' business, I'm jus' Hagrid" he added softly. "Now, did you com' to see the new Glumbumble colony? Only jus' hatched!"

Victoire, who loved seeing new magical creatures, even if they were furry insects, looked at Emily excitedly. All thoughts of the augurey forgotten, the dark-haired Gryffindor gave a quick shake of her head, her eyes narrowed. Obviously, one Gryffindor was _not_ interested in the newly spawned insects.

"…no I guess not" sighed Victoire, after receiving Emily's glare. "Just came to visit is all."

Hagrid nodded and looked like he was about to talk before he was interrupted by Emily.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" she yelled, rising back to her feet, "we heard an augurey's cry" she whispered ominously.

"Really? That's a shame. I'll have to tell Madam Rosmerta to take her chairs inside. I'll probably pass her on my way back anyway" replied Charlie nonchalantly. _Much _too nonchalantly for someone who had just been told of the death omen augurey's cry.

"What? I said an _augurey's _cry. It portends death! Victoire says you spend most of your time around magical creatures, surely you realize how tragic his mournful cry is" whispered Emily, a little more urgently, surprised by the two adults' lack of response.

Hagrid and Charlie exchanged a small glance, a knowing look in their eyes, before looking at the two thirteen-year olds. Victoire, who had just recently learned of the importance of the mournful cry of an augurey, looked more confused, while Emily still looked scared as she thought of the implications.

"An augurey, or an Irish Phoenix, does have a mournful cry, but it doesn't foretell death. That superstition was fortunately disproved many years ago. The mournful cry of an augurey only announces when it's going to rain" he contradicted gently. "Who told you it was a death omen?" asked Charlie, looking back and forth between the two girls.

"Well my Aunt did, but now that I think about it, she can be a bit…_eccentric_" admitted Emily. "She once tried to tell us the teapot was sexually harassing her because it whistled when she bent over to pick up the newspaper."

Victoire, Charlie, and Hagrid, all caught each other's eyes before bursting into laughter. Emily joined in a few seconds later though her laugh was weaker as her initial fear still hadn't completely subsided.

"So nobody's going to die?" asked Emily timidly. Hagrid and Charlie shared another look before answering.

"No, I promise you, nobody is going to die. Ok?" comforted Charlie, looking the scared third-year in the eyes.

"You know Charlie, all this talk of eccentric Aunts and Madam Rosmerta only brings me back to my original point" grinned Hagrid after reassuring Emily.

"Please Hagrid, not again, you sound like my Mother" groaned Charlie, rolling his eyes.

Victoire walked over and put Champ down next to Claw. Emily was now rubbing his belly and the young Crup was running around, still trying to entice the lazy dog to play. Champ, who was about as good a guard dog as Claw, immediately took to Emily, trying to jump into her arms to lick her face.

Meanwhile, Victoire, who had heard her Grandmother's rants several times whenever Uncle Charlie came to visit, knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Yeah Uncle Charlie, I could ask around to see if any of my friend's Mums are single. They might be able to set up a blind date or something" smirked Victoire, sitting in one of the oversized chairs.

"That's funny, hilarious even. I've been busy and I certainly don't need my friends, my Mother, or even my _niece_, to find me a date" he added looking at each one with his eyes narrowed, though the smile on his face gave him away.

"Ok, Uncle Charlie, but why are you here? I didn't think you were coming home until Christmas Eve at the Burrow" asked Victoire, wondering why she hadn't asked this earlier.

"Well after that round of mocking I might just _not_ tell you why I _actually _came" he threatened, though, again, the smile playing on his lips gave him away. Charlie Weasley was many things: a dragon wrangler, a fluent speaker of Romanian, and an impressive Quidditch player to name a few, but one thing he was certainly _not… _wasa good liar.

"Ok fine. Uncle Charlie, the greatest of all dragon-wrangling Uncles, please enlighten me to the nature of your highly beloved and welcomed visit to our humble institution" begged Victoire dramatically, clasping her hands together for unneeded emphasis. Charlie meanwhile, the mature adult that he was, was sitting upright in his chair, loftily waving his hand for Victoire to continue her praises.

Instead, he received a swift kick to the shins; courtesy of a third-year Gryffindor with long, wavy blond hair and flashing blue eyes.

"Ow! Ok, ok. I was going to tell you anyway" groaned Charlie rubbing his soon-to-be bruised shins. Both Emily and Hagrid laughed at Victoire's spirited response. Victoire was well versed in bantering with her Uncles, but, sometimes, there were just easier ways.

When Charlie looked down at Victoire again, however, his eyes were filled with excitement.

"What if I told you that my company, R.I.D.G.E.B.A.C.K, just started a program that would let you study Abraxons in France, Fire Crabs in Fiji, Kappas in Japan, Demiguises in the Far East, and of course, Dragons in Romania" finished Charlie, his eyes flashing with excitement as he watched the shocked expression on Victoire's face.

Victoire, who by this time was speechless, stared at her Uncle, her face slowly changing from shock to euphoria.

"Really?" was all she could choke out. She knew her Uncle Charlie would never joke about magical creatures, except maybe garden gnomes of course, but they had it coming. _Bloody pests_.

While Hagrid had brought many interesting creatures to Hogwarts, more than a few of them dangerous, she knew even _Hagrid_ was limited in what creatures were _legally _allowed on the Hogwarts grounds.

"Yes" laughed her Uncle. "You'll start in Ireland studying augureys, like the one outside, for about a week before you go somewhere new. You would travel to six continents, study dozens of different magical creatures, and finish up with me, studying dragons in Romania" he ended. "So do you want to do it?"

"MERLIN YES!" shouted Victoire immediately, the thought of studying exotic and misunderstood creatures, such as Nundus and Hungarian Horntails, was incredible. Claw picked his head up at the sudden outburst and even Champ, who was being held in Emily's arms, responded with a small playful bark.

"Hagrid and I thought you would. I'm on my way to speak to Minnie…I mean Professor McGonagall… soon. Only one student from each of the major schools can attend so Hagrid and I are both recommending you" he said with a smile, happy she was an enthusiastic as he had hoped.

"So I'm allowed to go? That's…that's just…AMAZING! But wait, when does this take place?" asked Victoire, looking between Hagrid and Charlie.

"Not for a little while yet. After we give our recommendations, an interviewer from my company will be here to…well…_interview_ you. That's really the only hurdle" he shrugged.

"Really? When does that happen?"

"Tomorrow" he answered simply.

"TOMORROW!" shouted Victoire, thinking of all the preparation she would need, the least of which was memorizing her copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. She might even contact her Aunt's friend Luna Lovegood Scamander. Her husband's grandfather had _written _the textbook after all.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just dress your best and show him you're crazier about magical creatures than even the Seventh Years."

Victoire tried calmed down a bit. She was still sitting in the oversized chair, thinking about all the amazing creatures she would be able to see up close. Hagrid and Charlie were both smiling at the third-year's enthusiastic reaction.

Emily was also smiling, one hand holding Champ, and the other absentmindedly petting Claw, the "vicious" pushover. She knew how crazy Victoire was about Care of Magical Creatures. She also knew that when it came to magical creatures, Victoire knew _exactly_ what she wanted. If only she could bring that to _other _parts of her life.

"So when is this? I don't think you answered" asked Victoire, after she had wiped the dreamy look from her face.

"This summer. You would spend a week at home before you took a portkey to Ireland to meet up with your guide and fellow students. From there you would travel the globe, a new country every week. You'd still be able to write letters, fortunately, as the guides will have several owls you can borrow."

"Oh that's good. This is the last summer before Dom starts her first year here. She'll probably want to ask me a bunch of important questions, like where the Quidditch Pitch is and where she can find the kitchens" she laughed, happy she can send owls to her family if she went on the program.

"But those _are _important" answered the former Seeker, with a grin on his face. While Victoire shared his love of magical creatures, Dominique shared in the mutual Weasley love of Quidditch and good food.

"Look, go the Headmistress's Office tomorrow for your interview and come summer time, you can decide _then_ whether you want to travel or not" he answered calmly. He knew how lonely it would be if she couldn't be with her family for the summer, even if she could send owls. He loved Romania, but it would be better if he could share it with someone. Share it with _anyone _really.

"You know, we should probably head back Vic. I promised Christian I would meet him in the library after breakfast. We've been here for a little while now" piped up Emily, moving over to the other three occupants of the Hut.

"Wha..? Yeah, I guess you're right" answered Victoire absentmindedly, her thoughts far from breakfast, libraries, and Hufflepuffs.

"I should probably be leaving soon as well. I'll go to McGonagall's office before I head over to the burrow. Your Grandmother would kill me if she knew I was in England for more than a few hours without dropping in for a meal" he laughed.

"You're going to the Headmistress' Office in a faded Holyhead Harpies t-shirt?" asked Emily.

"Well, Minerva isn't _my _Headmistress…even if I'm still a little afraid of her" laughed her Uncle.

Victoire got up and hugged her Uncle goodbye and promised Hagrid to come back and see the unique winter-loving furry dragon-fly like insects. Emily did the same, except for the insect part, and the two girls made their way towards the door. Both girls also received a lazy look from Claw and an excited lick from the young Crup.

As they opened the door, they saw the sky was still clear as the augurey gave another mournful cry. The girls shared a look, before turning back to look at the dragon-tamer and the Hogwarts gamekeeper.

"No girls, _nobody _is going to die. It doesn't look like it, but augureys are never wrong. It _will _rain" answered Charlie, seemingly reading their minds.

The girls nodded before turning back, slightly more reassured, the cool air sweeping over them through the opened door. Just after they closed the wooden door and walked a few feet, Emily suddenly stopped and turned to look at Victoire.

"Wait! What about the Honeydukes chocolate? We have to go back!" practically screamed Emily, approaching hysterics as she realized she left deliciously scrumptious chocolate behind. The chocolate had been pushed from her mind by the augurey and the proposed expedition, but now it came rushing back in full force.

"The Honeyduke's choc… oh yeah...here you go" answered Victoire, her brief moment of confusion quickly evaporating. She reached into the pocket of her leisure clothes, easily finding the bar of chocolate. Luckily, Honeydukes charmed all of their products to remain fresh and intact, regardless of the temperature and surrounding conditions.

Victoire held out the bar of chocolate, waiting for Emily to take it.

Emily, however, didn't move to grab the offered piece of chocolate, probably for the first time in history. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and gave Victoire a searching look. Her eyes flicked between the chocolate bar, her pocket, and the Hut they had left. Finally, she finished by looking Victoire in the eyes, her eyebrows furrowing even more.

"You had this the whole time didn't you?" asked slowly, her eyes never wavering.

"Um…maybe?" responded Victoire hesitantly.

"Since Gryffindor Tower?" she asked, her voice sounding threatening.

"…maybe" answered Victoire sheepishly, giving her friend a small, and hopefully placating, smile.

Emily slowly took the chocolate and used it to point at Victoire, her eyes flashing dangerously. She hadn't needed to walk through the snow to Hagrid's Hut. She hadn't needed to wake up so early. Merlin, she hadn't even needed to leave her dormitory!

"This…isn't…over" she answered slowly, still pointing the bar dangerously at Victoire. She turned and began to walk back towards the castle, leaving Victoire to catch up.

Victoire, unfazed, knew that as soon as Emily tasted the Honeydukes chocolate, she would be immediately forgiven. Emily would walk through the Forbidden Forest and back to get her hands on Honeydukes sweets. A little trip through the snow would be easily forgiven.

She walked quickly, trying to catch her momentarily upset best friend. As she left the Hut behind, she could just hear the mournful cry of the augurey, sending an ominous chill up her spine that had nothing to do with the weather.

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

**I know! It still took me a little while to update, but hopefully I'm getting better.**

**I decided to jump to the Winter Holidays instead of having some filler chapters. The plot isn't changed at all and it gets to the meat of the story much faster. **

**Teddy's chap will have more info about the past few months, but I'll answer any questions anyway. I would also appreciate any comments and suggestions.**

**Also, if anyone can think of a good meaning for R.I.D.G.E.B.A.C.K I will be eternally grateful and I'll dedicate the next chapter to you. I had a few, but they felt sort of weak. **

**Next two chapters are TPOV – Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw and the first day of break**

**Liked it? - - Hated it?**

**I can't read minds people! Leave a review! **


	16. Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**I loved the reviews, but I was kind of surprised by the lower numbers. **

**Almost 45 people have favorite this story, but I only received roughly eight reviews? **

**If you like it, tell me why. If you don't, tell me why as well. **

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

The last few months had not been great for Teddy Remus Lupin.

He was…overwhelmed. It seemed like everything was pulling him twenty directions, not giving him time to complete one task before three more were piled on.

He should probably start with Quidditch. Aaron _bloody_ Armstrong had been holding Quidditch practices well into the night, forcing his players to dodge bludgers, catch Quaffles, and find Snitches well into the twilight that had settled over Hogwarts. Even in the snowstorms that had ravaged the grounds and pounded the castle, the Headmistress would see seven yellow and black Badger players practicing out on the pitch if she cared to look out her office window.

His O.W.L. classes had, impossibly, become even more demanding. A night with hours of homework, dozens of spells that needed to be perfected, and several three-feet long essays had become a regular routine for the overworked Fifth year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Hufflepuff Common Room had become a sort of mine field recently, students exploding on each other for even the slightest bit of noise disturbing their peace. If they were this on edge now, the day before Winter Holidays, what could it possibly be come O.W.L. week?

The last bit was, of course, Prefect duties. Meetings, votes, and herding the firsties, were just some of the demands the badge on his chest entailed. This brought him to his current situation, walking through the shadowed corridors of the castle, the faintest traces of light beginning to pierce through the dark skyline, making _double _prefect patrols the very night before his Quidditch match. Eight to Eight, twelve hours of Prefect patrols.

All of these had slowly, but surely driven a small wedge between Teddy and the rest of his Hufflepuff mates. They were all overworked and adding Amber Regal into the mix gave Teddy virtually no time to spend with his fellow Badgers. He ate the Gryffindor Table for his meals, courtesy of Amber, spent hours in the library, also courtesy of Amber, and usually ran late to practice and classes, once again courtesy of the auburn-haired prospective Head Girl.

No, the last few months had not been great at all for Teddy Remus Lupin. But, hopefully, with the fast approaching Winter Holidays, things were finally starting to look up.

"Don't you just _love _these Prefect patrols?" cooed Amber, her arms linked with the blue-haired Hufflepuff Prefect. She looked up at him expectantly, her blue eyes meeting his.

Teddy gave a weak grin back, not really knowing how to respond. He was no stranger to midnight strolls, having been roaming the castle for over three years now. Those nights weren't really comparable to these however.

At first, it had been Teddy walking aimlessly alone, harboring a secret that even his Gran didn't know of. After his third year had begun, however, those nights had been better. Great even. He didn't realize just how much he missed those moonlit walks. He had begun to look forward to the full moons, giving him a much needed break from the pressures and stresses of his Fifth year responsibilities.

He had dreaded the last few full moons however. They were almost unbearable. The expression "you don't know what you have until it's gone" broke through with a completely new meaning these last few full moons. It was for a very simple reason really.

Victoire hadn't shown up.

The first full moon had been the worst. He waited under the sleeping portrait of the Medieval Knight, watching his Father's Map intently. He could see Victoire's dot, sitting alone on one of the sofas in front of the fire in Gryffindor Tower. Her dot hadn't moved, making him assume she was fast asleep, a feat he could never accomplish with the full moon in the night sky.

The second night, he didn't even bring the map. He couldn't bring himself to watch her dot, sleeping as he was forced to roam the castle alone. He was bitter, but he knew she had a good reason. He hadn't really expected to be forgiven. That didn't stop him from hoping though.

But that was months ago, he still roamed the castle on the full moon, usually stopping by the Astronomy Tower to stare at the moon herself. But he was alone on those nights, and with Victoire probably wanting nothing to do with him, he couldn't see that changing anytime soon.

With the Holidays approaching, every member of the incredibly large extended Weasley family was meeting for their traditional Christmas Eve party; he knew he would have time to make amends. He still wasn't sure what he had done, but by now, he was willing to give ground if necessary.

"Honey, you didn't answer me" spoke up Amber, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"What? Oh yeah… they're great" he answered absentmindedly. He knew he shouldn't, but he was comparing those earlier midnight walks to these and he had to admit, there was no comparison. The full moon walks trumped Perfect Patrols, hands down.

If Amber wanted a more well thought out answer she didn't show it, as she nodded her head, content with his answer. She snuggled farther into his chest; making his walking awkward as he half carried her weight down the abandoned corridor.

Her auburn hair rested on his light blue shirt. He knew she used half a dozen potions to keep her hair this shiny. And still, he couldn't help himself from comparing it with Victoire's, noticing that it just wasn't quite as nice as her smooth wavy blond locks.

Teddy forced his mind from thinking about Victoire, nothing good would come of it anyway; at least until the Winter Holidays. Besides, Amber could always tell when his thoughts strayed to the blond third year Gryffindor. One thing he didn't need was an upset Amber. Merlin knows _that _happened all too often as it was.

"You know…we still have about, oh, half an hour left on our patrol. You want to go find a broom closest or something?" she asked, running her forefinger down his chest.

It felt…contradictory on most of these Prefect Patrols. They only reprimanded students for snogging after hours in between bouts of the _Prefects_ snogging after hours.

"Well…you know… if we only have a half hour, how about we just end our patrol early? I have my match today and I really could use a few hours of…" he said, looking apologetically before being interrupted.

"You don't want to snog me?! Am I not good enough?!" rounded Amber, her mood changing dangerously. She pulled away, throwing his hands off her as she sent a deadly glare.

"What? We've already snogged in two classrooms, in one broom closet, and against _that _statute" answered Teddy defensively, gesturing to the bust of Seamus the Famous.

"Fine. Be an insensitive prat. I'm going back to my Tower, I hope you're well and rested for your match since you obviously care about it more than me" she huffed, before walking purposely up the nearby staircase.

"Oh come on! Amber, wait up! Amber!" shouted Teddy, missing her arm. Well, he can add 'fight with girlfriend' to his list of problems. _Bollocks_.

This wasn't exactly new behavior for Amber. She did this about three times a week, just to see Teddy apologize incessantly until she took him back. It had become sort of a routine really. A routine he was quickly becoming tired of.

Feeling the effects of a full night wandering the halls of the castle, he decided he might as well grab as Wake-Up potion from Madam Pomfrey before heading back to the Hufflepuff Dormitories. He could always save the potion for when he woke up if he got back fast enough.

He chose the shortest path to the Infirmary, a corridor that passed by the Hogwarts Library. Teddy walked briskly down the corridors of the school. The sun had already eclipsed the horizon, shining light into even the darkest corners of the hallways.

As he neared the library, he saw the door was unlocked and that some of the lamps seemed to have been lit. Curious, he slowed as he neared the door, looking inside to see who would be in the library this early on the Sunday before Winter Holiday.

His eyes roamed the shelves of books, hundreds of thousands of volumes of texts, before settling his eyes on the nearby tables, all but one of them completely empty.

He spotted the first year Slytherin, calmly reading a book, his head propped by his arm, looking incredibly bored. It really shouldn't have surprised him. He knew that he hardly spent any more time in the Slytherin Dormitories as he could help it.

Teddy had run into him on many occasions wandering the corridors after hours or early in the morning. He once asked why he didn't stay in the dormitories, but all he received was an icy glare and the answer that 'it was a Slytherin thing.'

"I didn't know they opened the library this early Tristan" asked Teddy, approaching the brown-haired First year.

"They don't. I borrowed the keys from the Caretaker" he answered, seemingly not surprised by the Hufflepuff's appearance. Tristan and Teddy had, inexplicably, become fairly close friends over the past few months. The First year spent so much time away from the dormitories, it wasn't difficult to imagine why they bumped into each so often.

"Borrowed, hmm? Does _he _know that?" countered Teddy, a smile tugging on his lips.

"Easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission" he shrugged in reply.

"Is that so? Somehow I doubt you'll be asking for either. So what are you reading at… seven forty-five on a Sunday morning anyway?" he asked after checking his watch. Instead of answering, Tristan simply pulled the book off of the table, allowing Teddy to see the cover.

"Idioms for Idiots? Interesting find in a school library. Sounds advanced" he began sarcastically, "you a genius or something?"

"Everyone's a genius at least once a year. Mine just come a little closer together" he shrugged, the smirk never leaving his face as he lifted the book in his left hand, turning the page with his right.

"Yeah, I'm sure. So you coming to my match today? Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw; should be a good one" he asked, easing himself into the chair opposite the younger student. Tristan, unlike most wizards, _including Teddy_, wasn't an absolute Quidditch nut.

"Wait…" responded Tristan, widening his eyes comically and throwing his hands forward dramatically, his book falling onto the table with a resounding thump,"…they still let _Hufflepuff _play Quidditch?! Are you sure? Isn't it a bit dangerous to have the Puffies flying so high?!"

"Oh Ha Ha" he grinned back, "You weren't making so many jokes after we flattened your House in the opener."

"Even a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut. Or is it a blind pig occasionally finds an acorn?" he responded. "I'm not quite sure, but I feel like I got my point across."

"And that was…?" asked Teddy hesitantly.

"You can wish in one hand and crap in the other. See which one fills up first" he responded, not missing a beat.

"…huh? What does that even mean?" he replied, looking at Tristan confused. The sun was shining more brightly now, lighting up the library through the large windows.

Tristan brought his right hand up to his chin, lightly scratching it as he adorned a look of deep concentration. Finally he responded, "You know, I'm not quite sure. I just like the way it rolls off the tongue" he shrugged.

Teddy stared at the First year, debating with himself whether prolonging this conversation was really the best course of action. He also silently cursed whoever placed that book in the shelves of the large library.

"Well, as useful as those expressions are to me, you never answered whether you're coming to my match later today. Should be a good leaving present before the Holidays."

"Well, I might make an appearance, you never know. Could be good for my image I suppose" responded Tristan, checking his fingernails for dirt with an air of superiority. Knowing Tristan for the past few months, he could take that as a 'Yes.'

"As long as it's good for your image" laughed Teddy. "Well, I can't really stay; I'm going to head up to the Hospital Wing for a Wake-Up Potion. You want to come?"

"Nah, Madam Pomfrey is still upset since I asked that third year if that was his face or if his neck just threw up. Woman just doesn't appreciate a good joke I suppose" he answered nonchalantly, turning another page in his book after finding his previous page. He saw Tristan's face split into a wide grin and vowed never to ask what expression he had just read. Somehow, he knew he just didn't want to know.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it. Oh, I was wondering, would you and your Mum like to come over to the Burrow for Christmas? It's sort of sudden, but I know you said you weren't planning anything and my family won't mind another two people. I'm sure you and your Mum would have a good time, even if you only came for a few hours."

Tristan didn't reply at first, though his face showed a look of genuine concentration as he processed the offer. In the months that Teddy knew Tristan, he still had only learned a handful of facts about his home life. He lived alone in a flat with his Mother, his Father had died when he was young, but Teddy didn't know when or how, and he had problems in the Slytherin House, though he had no idea why.

Tristan had mentioned that he was just going to spend Christmas alone with his Mother, Tracy Davis, at their flat. Teddy, who had always celebrated Christmas with about thirty people, most of them red-headed, knew that his Grandmother would never forgive him if he didn't extend an invitation to the young Slytherin and his Mother to the Burrow on Christmas Eve. She would hate the idea of them spending Christmas alone.

"Well…I don't know…"

"It's not a pity invitation or anything. I just think you would both have a good time. Look, just think it over ok? Just let me know on the Express or send me an owl later. We'll work it out."

"…Ok. I'll ask my Mum and let you know" he finished; obviously relieved he didn't need to make a decision now. For whatever reason, Tristan needed to be careful, a reason Teddy hoped one day he would learn.

"Ok. Well I better go get that Wake-Up Potion before I pass out in a corridor somewhere. If it wears off during my match and I fall from my broom, will you at least act upset? It would mean a lot to me" smirked Teddy, getting up from his chair at the library table.

"No promises there mate. I enjoy a good crash as much as the next guy" replied the first-year Slytherin, his trademark smirk, showing over the top of the book again.

"Somehow I don't doubt that. Oh, when you leave, can you at least pretend I was a good Prefect and scolded you for _borrowing _the key from the Caretaker. Just please lock it up and give the key back. I don't need to be reprimanded when I'm this close to freedom."

"Well…I was planning on tying the key to the tail of a Centaur…"

"That's not a bit ridiculous?" laughed Teddy, almost through the doors of the library.

"Yeah, you're probably right… I'd never catch a Centaur. Might be able to snag a few pixies though. Think they could carry a set of keys?"

Teddy laughed on his way out, shaking his head. He was only a few feet from the door when he heard Tristan shout from the library.

"Hey Teddy! Flying above a pitch doesn't make you any more of a Quidditch player than standing in a closest makes you broom. Just found that gem, I needed to share it."

Teddy let out a quick laugh, knowing the Weasleys were in for a surprise if the Slytherin decided to show up for the Christmas Eve party. At least he knew George would love him.

He headed towards the Hospital Wing to beg a Wake-Up Potion from the Hogwarts Healer. He really did hope Tristan would accept the invitation, he had a good feeling about the Winter Holidays, and he wanted Tristan to be there to enjoy it.

He had Quidditch today and then it was only a few sweet hours of sleeping comfortably on the Express on his back home. Exhausted as he was, today definitely looked promising.

***

A couple hours later, he was sitting at the Hufflepuff Table, for the first time in months, eating breakfast with the members of his Quidditch Team. All in all, the morning had been fairly uneventful. Madam Pomfrey was already awake when he made it to the Hospital Wing and he drank the Wake-Up Potion without incident. He wasn't fast enough to grab a few hours of sleep, but, hopefully, that wouldn't be a problem.

She said that he would be fidgety at first, normal for a while, and then later he would, for lack of a better word, _crash_. He only needed the potion to last through the Quidditch Match and then he could get a nice, long, well-deserved sleep aboard the Hogwarts Express. There was plenty of time.

"Ok Team, to the lockers" announced Aaron, standing from his seat at the Table. The rest of the team dutifully rose with him. Unlike before the Slytherin Match, the school wasn't quite buzzing. The stands would be filled of course, but most of the student body was more excited about the upcoming Winter Holidays than the fast approaching Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw match. That didn't apply to anyone that slept in the dormitories near the kitchens of course.

The Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Match had already been played and the Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw Match wasn't nearly as big of a rivalry. Teddy hoped for an uneventful match, a good party, and a long rest aboard the scarlet train. As the stood up, he saw the rest of his Housemates giving them the thumbs up or shouting words of encouragement.

As the Team passed the edge of the Gryffindor Table, Amber blew him a kiss, presumably already forgiving him for whatever he did only hours earlier. He smiled back, but rolled his eyes when she wasn't looking. Sometimes, he just didn't understand Amber at all. Maybe, just maybe, she was more trouble than she was worth.

When they reached the locker room, they quickly changed, and waited for Aaron to begin his pep talk. He walked to the center of the benches, looking each of his Teammates in the eyes. Only Chase looked as determined as his Captain, and Chase loved Quidditch more than breathing so that's saying something.

"OK Team, do not underestimate Ravenclaw. They've been practicing hard, they've some great beaters, and they have a great returning Chaser. Their main threat is Jake Merriman so I'm going to need you to shadow him all game. He can't be allowed to have free reign" he spoke, pointing at Chase.

"For the rest of you, yes I know that we don't need to be the best team in the world to defeat Ravenclaw, but we _need_ to be the best team in the stadium. If you go out there flat, thinking this match is in the bag, YOU WILL LOSE! Of that I am certain. We're behind Gryffindor _BIG_, we need to flatten Ravenclaw today to catch up to the Lions. We have the best Team at Hogwarts and I'll be damned if we don't deserve that Cup!"

"This is _our_ match! We've practiced hard, we've devised strategies, Merlin... we've even done our fair share of scouting. That is _wasted _if don't go out with as much intensity as the Slytherin match. _Wasted_! WE WIN THIS MATCH BIG AND WE HANG RIGHT WITH THE GRYFFINDOR LIONS. NOW WHO WANTS THAT CUP?!"

"_Hufflepuff!_"

"Who are we?!"

"_HUFFLEPUFF!_"

"One more time!"

"_**HUFFLPEUFF!**_"

"Now go OUT there and flatten some Ravenclaw arse!"

The Hufflepuff Team roared out of the locker room doors, leaping onto their broomsticks as they took to the skies. One almost had to feel bad for the Ravenclaw Team.

Almost.

The Badgers took to the skies, the weather had held over and, at least over Scotland, the skies remained only partly cloudy. Though, the snow was still laid on the ground, the warm sun and the lack of breeze made the conditions very favorable. It was perfect weather to be outside.

It was Quidditch weather.

Aaron Armstrong and the Ravenclaw Captain shook hands at the center, the two teams forming independent semi-circles, their broomsticks tucked in the proper place for take-off. Madam Hooch gave her usual warning, though not as worried as before a Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Match, and blew her whistle. The biggest match of Teddy's short career had begun.

***

It wasn't the flattening that they had given Slytherin…but it was close. Teddy was hovering near the highest goalpost, watching the Quaffle with a hawk's eye. Pat and the Ravenclaw Seeker were flying close, both intent on finding the fluttering golden Snitch.

Hufflepuff had already amassed a decent lead, 70-0, but they would need more to catch up to Gryffindor in the point standings. They were behind 260 points following Gryffindor's blow out of Ravenclaw and their close win against rival Slytherin. They still needed four more goals, and the one hundred and fifty points from the Snitch, to catch up to the Lions for their meeting in the Quidditch Final. If they _didn't _catch the Snitch, well…it was best not to dwell on those sorts of things anyway.

Chase was doing a superb job at keeping Jake a non-factor in today's match. As the only returning Chaser from last year's Ravenclaw Quidditch Team, it was his job to direct and execute the scoring plays of their offense. If Chase could prevent him from becoming effective, that just made his job all that much easier. He was never more than a few feet away from the lead Ravenclaw Chaser, making passing nearly impossible for the Ravenclaw Chasers. The other two players were new to the team, unable to shoulder the responsibilities of leading the attack against the veteran Hufflepuff Keeper.

Teddy _had_ made a few saves, but none from Jake. He had yet to control the Quaffle past mid-field and the frustration was evident on his face. He could been seen shouting at the Chasers, urging for them to force the pass, yelling at his Beaters to distract Chase, even shouting at his Keeper, the Ravenclaw Captain, for not catching all of the nearly endless parade of shots on their half of the pitch.

"Time out Ravenclaw!" shouted Madam Hooch over the roar of the crowd after blowing her silver whistle. As Teddy drifted down to meet his Teammates, he inspected the cheering crowd.

It was only the Hufflepuff section that was cheering on the Badgers. The Ravenclaw section was understandably cheering for their team, and both the Slytherin Team and the Gryffindor Team were rooting for a Ravenclaw comeback. Gryffindor knew of the importance of the point standings and nobody ever said the Slytherins couldn't hold a grudge.

He finally ended his flight down to meet the rest of his team, already forming a tight circle in front of the Hufflepuff section near mid-field. Aaron cast several clearing charms on the previously snow-covered ground, allowing them to land without falling into nearly six inches of snow.

"Ok Team, we've got them on the ropes" began his Captain, a determined look in his eye. Teddy, who knew these meetings were primarily for the Chasers and the Seeker, searched the crowd. As he was trying to remember the connection between ropes, Muggles, and fisticuffs, he spotted his friends; Christian, Taylor, and Emily, all wearing Badger colors, cheering for the _winning _team.

Noticing the absence of a third-year blond, he searched the rest of the Hufflepuff, and even the Gryffindor, section. He hoped to talk to her after the match, maybe during the carriage ride down to the Express. He looked at the other sections of the stadium, even finding Tristan sitting calmly near the top of the stadium, half-hoping she had stayed in the castle to finish up work before the Holiday.

But no, there she was. Sitting in the dead center of the Ravenclaw stands, completely covered in blue and bronze garb, sat Victoire Weasley. There was no doubt which Team she supported. Which side she had chosen for today's match. It shouldn't have surprised him that she was rooting for Ravenclaw; that she was rooting for Jake. They were dating after all, a fact he grudgingly accepted. But it still didn't prevent him from becoming angry, or from looking over at Jake getting screamed at by his Captain, a look of anger and frustration on his face. He couldn't help but send a glare at the brown-haired Ravenclaw Chaser.

"Teddy! I need you to focus!" shouted a distant voice to his left. He turned to see his Captain holding his hand in the middle of the tight circle, the other members of his team already putting their hands in as well. Shaking stray thoughts of knocking Jake to the ground with a well aimed Stunner, he hastily added his hand to the top of the pile.

"On the count of the three! One…two…three…"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

His team took the sky, followed closely by their Ravenclaw opponents. The whistle sounded and _his _match had started again.

Chase and his fellow teammates quickly racked up three more goals in twenty minutes, humiliating their Keeper with a series of complex Chaser attacks. Whatever Aaron had seen from his Beater position before the timeout, it had obviously worked.

Teddy pumped his fist, not knowing whether his sudden burst of energy was from the Wake-Up Potion he had drank hours earlier, or just from the rush of adrenaline only a Quidditch match could bring.

Fuming, the Ravenclaw Keeper threw the ball to Jake, his face red with frustration. The score stood at 100-0, they only needed one more goal to enter into a two-way tie for first place in the Cup Standings. A feat long denied the Hufflepuff Badgers.

Jake flew towards mid-field, ignoring the waving hands of his teammates. His eyes were only on the goals, frustration burning through his eyes as he stared down the hoops, and consequently, the Keeper Teddy.

Chase made a move for the Quaffle, trying to punch the red ball free from his grasp. Jake feigned diving, only to pull up, the back of his broom catching Chase by the shoulder, causing him to spin violently towards the ground. Luckily, one of the other Chasers helped the Hufflepuff stay on his broom, avoiding the frozen soil below.

Aaron shot a Bludger at Merriman, only to have Jake easily dodge the black cannon ball, his eyes never leaving the hoops. The Hufflepuff Beaters were forced to move from Jake, concentrating on keeping the Bludgers from attacking their own players.

Teddy watched the approach of Jake Merriman, supposedly one of the best Chasers Ravenclaw has had to offer in nearly a decade. Jake passed the threshold of the shooting arch, the thought of passing away the Quaffle never having crossed his mind. It was evident that he would try and bring Ravenclaw back into the game, even if he had to do by himself.

Teddy shot out towards the Chaser. He hadn't given up a goal this season yet and there was no way he was going to let up a goal to Jake _bloody _Merriman. The thought of Victoire garbed in bronze and blue attire burned in his mind as he sped towards the oncoming Chaser. Even his Teammates, and the members of the Ravenclaw Team, recognized the battle about to ensue. The crowd held their breath, waiting for the Ravenclaw Chaser to make his move on the Hufflepuff Keeper.

One blond Gryffindor held her breath, fearing the outcome that was sure to happen. She clutched her borrowed Ravenclaw scarf tightly, fearing for her boyfriend on the Quidditch Pitch. Unknown, even to her, she reached her hand inside her coat pocket, clutching a small Hufflepuff patch in her hand; a gift from a blue-haired Prefect many months ago.

Teddy sped towards the oncoming Ravenclaw Chaser, trying to anticipate what move he was going to make in the split second before their paths crossed. Teddy's eyes hardened in determination, matching Jake's. He had one singular goal; stop Jake from scoring, no matter the cost.

The wind whipped by Teddy, his gloved hands grasping the polished wood firmly. He would NOT let Jake score. He would NOT let Jake ruin this day for the Badgers. He would NOT let him take something from Teddy.

Not again.

Jake flew in a straight path, seemingly intent on meeting the Keeper in his lane towards the rings, both players flying at ramming speeds.

Jake angled the broom head towards the bottom hoop, before pulling the broom again, initiating a tight upward corkscrew, keeping his speed blistering. It was a complex move, well executed, and difficult to defend for any Keeper. There was only problem.

Teddy had seen it before. Chase had pulled that move in their last match, he had practiced it in practice, perfected the technique until he could perform it blindfolded. A feat he actually accomplished one early winter practice.

If Jake thought he was about to score on Teddy Lupin using a move designed, utilized and perfected by Chase Wood, then he was sorely mistaken. Teddy increased his speed, the wind whipping violently past his ears, the pounding in his ears as he urged his broom to move faster.

Jake kept on his path, until he pushed down on the broom during the corkscrew, falling into a steep dive, intent on skirting past the Keeper, whose momentum would carry him in the complete opposite direction. That is what happened to the Slytherin Keeper with Chase. Teddy, however, did _not_ play for Slytherin.

When Jake pushed the broom into a steep dive, Teddy was waiting for him, both still traveling at break-neck speeds. They collided, only Teddy prepared for the full-on collision. Just before contact, Teddy saw the look of surprise in Jake's eyes replacing the fierce determination that had been burning only seconds earlier.

The harsh sound of two bodies impacting forty-feet into the air reverberated throughout the stadium. The Quaffle flew gracefully into the air, almost in slow motion, as it was freed from Jake's grip. Teddy felt the wind knocked out of his lungs, but he had been prepared to re-grasp the polished wood beneath him securely enough to remain balanced. Jake, however, was not so lucky.

Never doubting his new move would fail him, he hadn't expected Teddy to anticipate his attack and his grip on his Cleansweep was wrestled from his grasp from the force of the impact. Unable to catch the broomstick, he plummeted the forty-feet, crashing into the pitch with a resounding thump, forming a small crater in the previously undisturbed snow. The resounding 'crack' echoed throughout the pitch.

The next events happened in a blur, Chase catching the free-floating Quaffle, scoring his eighth goal of the match to give Hufflepuff a 110-0 lead. Pat catching the Snitch right under the Ravenclaw Seeker's nose giving them the needed 150 point boost, the win, and more importantly, the _tie_. Teddy being mauled into a giant hug by his team, Chase screaming, Pat fisting the air, the fluttering Snitch securely in his hand, and Aaron crying unashamed as they made their way down to the pitch.

The pitch was soon filled by a sea of black and yellow, their loyal Housemates charging the field, as they swallowed the image of a groaning Ravenclaw Chaser.

Only Teddy saw the Gryffindor third-year sprint onto the field, kneeling next to the groaning Ravenclaw Chaser holding his side with his left arm. It was clear that Jake had injured his side and most likely his right arm.

The look of concern of her soft features nullified some of the happiness of the victory. Watching her kneeling by Jake, tucking his hair behind his ear as she waited for Madam Pomfrey, felt like a punch to the gut, but he wouldn't let it ruin this moment for him. Hufflepuff deserved this win, and if Jake had tried to steal a move from Chase, then he received what he deserved as well.

He knew that if Victoire hated him before, she would definitely hate him now. The prospect of another few months apart seemed likely, though he was still determined to attempt and mend the differences during the Winter Holidays.

Teddy's view was covered by the approaching sea of waving Hufflepuff flags and bodies, the scene of Victoire gently comforting Jake fortunately swallowed from sight.

"Party in the Common Room NOW! Before the Express!" shouted one of the hundreds of Hufflepuffs that stormed the gates of the stadium, rushing back to their Dungeon for a well deserved party before the Hogwarts Express left later that night.

Teddy saw Christian and Taylor's faces clearly in the crowd, looking as happy as he felt. He saw hundreds of beaming faces as he walked with the rest of his Team, being practically mauled on their trip back up to the castle.

Hufflepuff deserved this win. They earned their shot at the Cup and now they were going into the Final Match equal in the point standings. They were underdogs, yes, but they had a shot…no, more than a shot, they had a real _chance_ to upset the Gryffindor Lions. He knew even the Fat Friar, the only being with memory of the last Hufflepuff Cup victory, would be happy about this win.

The massive parade soon arrived at the Dungeons, the Seventh Years picking up dozens of butterbeers on their trip past the kitchens. The Common Room roared with commotion, the party already in full swing when the Quidditch Team arrived. Teddy received countless hugs, handshakes, pats on the back, and every other form of congratulations you can imagine. The entire Hufflepuff House was alive that day, reveling in their win.

Teddy laughed as the party continued, watching Chase and Taylor dancing to the thundering music, Aaron giving a blow by blow of every Bludger hit to a group of mesmerized Fourth year girls, even Christian was partying, somehow able to sneak Emily into the Common Room with the throng of people.

He was exhausted, but he was also feeling euphoric, letting the positive emotions wash over him to keep him awake. He had only downed one butterbeer, when he saw the figure of Professor Wispen entering the Common Room. He was the Head of House, it was expected he would give his House an order to _try _and keep the revelry under control. It usually didn't help he gave the command with a wink, ruining the weak façade that he wasn't just as happy as they were anyways.

Teddy turned his attention back to the party, allowing himself to move to one of the more isolated corners. He had a huge smile plastered on his face when he saw Professor Wispen move purposely through the crowd, intent upon finding some particular student.

Finally, he and Cameron Wispen made eye contact and Teddy was surprised to see sadness and regret filling those eyes. As he neared the blue-haired Fifth year, his sense of dread continued to grow.

After what seemed an eternity, Professor Wispen approached Teddy, his look filled with sorrow, a sharp contrast to the cheerful mood around them.

Professor Wispen took a deep sigh, his dark eyes now holding compassion as well.

"Teddy…I'm sorry. It's about your Grandmother."

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

**Couldn't resist the Cliffie!**

**I've really been practicing, but I still can't read minds. Any tips? **

**I guess I'll just have to settle for receiving tons and tons of reviews for now. **

**Next Chapter is TPOV**

**REVIEW PLEASE! **


	17. Andromeda Tonks

**priestpotter:**

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but I thought it was best as a standalone. **

**Now be honest, who is procrastinating while they read this?**

**I know I'm procrastinating while I write it. **

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

"Licorice Wands" provided the Defense Professor, unsurprised when the gargoyle animated and moved aside, revealing the hidden passage to the Headmistress's Office. He had made the trip dozens, if not hundreds, of times before, but never quite like this. This was a trip, no, an _escort_, he wished he never had to make or ever make again.

He turned to look at the blue-haired Prefect standing next to him, staring at the gargoyle with a distant expression on his face. He was still garbed in the dirty, sweat stained Hufflepuff Quidditch robes, declining the offer to change before catching the portkey. His expression remaining morose, Professor Wispen added, "The choice of password is an old tradition from the previous Headmaster you know. The Headmistress left it in honor of him."

Teddy looked up at the Hufflepuff Head of House, nodding his head slowly, not really registering what his Professor had said. His mind was focused elsewhere, and, as callous as it might seem, not really caring about the choice of password or where it came from. His mind was distant, focusing on something much, _much _more important.

Teddy was scared. No, more than scared, Teddy was…terrified. The foundation of his entire childhood, his entire _life_, was being ripped out from underneath his feet, leaving him falling, unable to be stop his descent. He was lost, unable to see anything past the situation he now faced, not seeing any future beyond the next few hours. How could there be? Wouldn't the world just stop when…when…_it _happened?

He was on his way to the Headmistress's Office to catch a portkey to the Wizards' Hospital, but he didn't seem to be able to move his feet. Professor Wispen had tried to break the news to him softly, tried to gently ease him into why he needed to skip the train ride to take an emergency portkey to St. Mungo's. His friends had only given him quick glances as he left the common room, no doubt believing he was being congratulated by their Head of House somewhere quieter. It couldn't be farther from the truth.

When Cameron Wispen had told him she had collapsed a little while ago when his Godfather had visited, he had…frozen. In the back of his mind, someplace he had kept well hidden during the school year, he always knew that the suffering over the summer wouldn't go away on September 1st when he left for Hogwarts, that it would eventually rear its ugly head once again. He had buried the thought though, not believing he had the strength to deal with it now, or really ever.

The weight of the world pushed on his shoulders as he walked slowly down the corridors. Some people would have sprinted. Others would have kept shouting until no one blocked their way.

Teddy did neither.

He stared at the tiles of the Hogwarts corridor as he slowly walked down the hall, trying and failing to brace himself repeatedly. He walked slowly, but _not _calmly. At least if the involuntary shaking of his shoulders was anything to go by. But he had to keep moving, but not for him. He wasn't about him anymore. It was about someone far more important than Fifth year prefect. He had to walk. He had to do it.

For _her_.

The thought of seeing her lying so vulnerable was daunting and, even though he had been trying to steady himself during the long walk from the Hufflepuff Common Room to Headmistress McGonagall's Office, he wasn't sure he would be able to.

How can you ready yourself for something you _know _you can't face? Something so earth shattering the thought used to keep you awake for hours, worrying about something inevitable far into the night. Who, if anyone, can face that?

His thoughts were interrupted when Professor Wispen placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, sending him a sympathetic look. His eyes met with Teddy's, instantly reading the fear locked in the Metamorphmagus' blue gaze. Failing to think of anything to help the young student, a student far too young to face what lay in front of him; he slipped the hand off his shoulder. Feeling like he had failed as a Head of House, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor motioned to the entrance, nodding his head, a small, sad smile on his face.

Teddy moved wordlessly to the steps of the entrance, walking slowly up the winding staircase to the door of the Headmistress's Office. He had never been here before and despite the circumstances, or perhaps because of it, he felt everything in exceptional clarity.

He noticed the grainy feel of the stone steps beneath his shoes, the hard texture of the wooden railing as he ran his hand along the lining of the winding staircase, even the smooth, cold texture of the brass door handle as he gently turned it and pushed the ancient wood door open. Each second seemed precious, every second before he needed to find courage he wasn't sure existed.

He softly opened the door to find Headmistress McGonagall sitting behind her desk, scratching her quill over several pieces of parchment. When she heard the door open, Professor McGonagall looked up to see the blue-haired Fifth year enter, an almost lost expression on his features. Carefully, she slowly lowered her quill before standing the address the Prefect.

"I have already arranged with St. Mungo's to set up a portkey. It will take you to the lobby of the hospital" she began formerly, her voice remaining level.

Teddy nodded at the information, again, his mind far away from the conversation. He looked around the Office, subconsciously avoiding his Headmistress's gaze. He saw the portrait lined walls, quickly realizing the portraits were of former Hogwarts Headmasters. The largest portrait belonged to a long, white bearded wizard situated directly behind the Headmistress's desk. He knew it was the legendary wizard his Godfather always mentioned, the wizard who had given his life during the second war.

The same war that had taken his parents' life. The same war that had left him an orphan, only one woman to care for him. The same woman he would soon be without.

Teddy's gaze moved silently back, meeting McGonagall's sympathetic look. She gave a small, sad smile, similar to the smile that Professor Wispen had given him only minutes earlier. It was a…different look on the aged face of his Headmistress. He had always seen her wear a strict expression, even when she taught Transfiguration before Professor Jones retuned. The compassionate look was definitely something he had not been expecting. He tried to return the smile, but just couldn't muster the ability to move those four muscles in his face.

Giving a slight nod, she reached in her pocket to pull out a small Remembrall, the portkey that would take Teddy to the lobby of St. Mungo's, the place where all visitors arrived and exited.

He watched as she placed the Remembrall on her desk before silently chanting "Portus." The clear Remembrall glowed a bright blue before fading back to its normal, clear surface. His Headmistress picked up the clear sphere, holding it out to Teddy. The two remained still for a few moments, the aged Headmistress holding out the glass magical device while Teddy remained still, staring at the orb, thinking of exactly where it would take him.

"Teddy" spoke McGonagall softly, jolting him out of his state.

He carefully raised his right hand, grasping the cold Remembrall gently, as if the slightest pressure would shatter the translucent globe. The Remembrall held in his grasp, he raised his head once more to look at his Headmistress.

"Wish her a full recovery. From all of us here at Hogwarts" she added. With another small compassionate look, she pointed her wand at the orb, activated the portkey, and Teddy felt the unfamiliar jerk behind his navel.

***

Teddy arrived in the center of the lobby of St. Mungo's, his feet landing loudly on the smooth, white tiles of the Wizard Hospital's lobby. He was able to remain on his feet; his Quidditch reflexes helping him keep his balance. He stood up straighter, dropping the Remembrall in the pocket of his Quidditch robes.

Around him was a sea of commotion. Wizards, witches, and children walking around him, not giving the yellow and black robed fifteen-year old any attention. He could hear children shouting, mothers chastising, even the faint "pop" of dozens of wizards and witches apparating and disapparting around him.

How could they be acting so normal? So normal when the life as we know it was going to end?

The tidal wave of sounds and noise pounded against him, and yet, he didn't move. He felt lost on the expanse of white tiles on the floor of the Hospital lobby. How could he have been so absorbed in Quidditch, O., even the Column, to ignore what was most important? How bad of a person was he to not send a single owl home during school?

He felt like a fog had descended the lobby of the large hospital, drowning out the noise, leaving Teddy alone with his thoughts as he stood motionless in the center of the crowded atrium. The voices around him seemed muffled, as he stared at the sign above the information desk.

_INTENSIVE CARE WARD: GROUND FLOOR_

She would be there, waiting for him to gather his courage and face her. He would do it for her, even if he didn't have the strength. He wished for the first time that he had not embarked on this horrible journey on his own.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind when he felt a hand drop on his shoulder. He looked up to see his Godfather, his somber expression amplified by the sad look in his piercing green eyes. He had bangs under his eyes, not from lack of sleep, but from the stress of his worrying.

At first, his Godfather looked at a loss of words. Finally, after a deep sigh, he spoke, "come on, Teddy." He gestured with his hand towards the nearest corridor, leading Teddy from the hectic lobby.

As he was lead through a maze of white walls, polished white floors, and seemingly endless number of identical hospital rooms, he couldn't but feel a little overwhelmed. Up until now, his apprehension and his adrenaline had kept him alert, but now his grasp was beginning to falter. The double Prefect Patrol, Quidditch Match, and now this were taking a heavy toll of on his body.

Their trip ended abruptly as they approached a large set of double doors. There was a simple sign, leaving no doubt to Teddy to severity of the situation. He had been silently hoping that his Defense Professor had been given wrong information, that she was actually at her home or, at worst, in the ward for minor injuries on the fourth floor. But, no, he was right, and Teddy was still grasping at straws that remained far out his reach.

The sign left no doubt to that.

_INTENSE CARE WARD: PRIORTY CASES_

The pair slowly pushed the set of doors open, revealing a quiet hallway; the only sound the hard 'clink' of shoes pounding the hard tiles beneath their feet. The hammering of their shoes against the tiles reverberated along the entire length of the hallway, destroying the unsettling stillness.

His Godfather gently lead him, his hand still on his shoulder, past a few doors before stopping in front a seemingly normal white door, a single window situated in the upper right corner.

Room number 015.

"I'll wait out here, ok?" asked his Godfather, looking at Teddy. He gave his shoulder another squeeze before turning to take a seat on the bench outside the door, giving the teen the space he needed. He had probably already gone in and said his goo… his goodb…

Well… he probably already went in.

Teddy could only nod as he stared at the door knob, his gaze unable to be ripped away. He felt the hand removed from his shoulder, and vaguely recognized that his Godfather had sat down on the bench next to the door. He loved his Godfather, but he hadn't _really_ beenraised by him. He knew he was loved like a son, but Harry was never truly a parent. His Godfather had always been more of a mentoring older brother than a Father figure. Maybe it wasn't fair, but it's just the way it was.

No, he could only remember one parent, one woman that needed him now just as he would always need her.

He slowly reached his hard forward, stopping his palm just before it reached the cold, hard metal of the knob. He stared at the handle, trying to stop from breaking down, trying to gather enough courage to walk into the hospital room in front of him. She lay on the other side. She needed him.

Steeling himself, he took a deep breath before turning the cold knob of the perfectly white door, taking his slow steps into the hospital room.

***

It was a simple room, a single window in the near wall, a potted plant sitting on an unassuming wooden table in the far corner. On the table next to bed, sat another pot filled with beautiful blue and lilac forget-me-nots. Finally, his gaze turned to the white-sheeted bed, resting his eyes on the lone person in the room, the lone patient resting in Room 015 in St. Mungo's Hospital.

His eyes rested on his Gran, Andromeda Tonks.

She looked peaceful, her blue hospital gown covered by the thin white sheets of her bed. Her white hair was splayed across the pillow, her eyes closed, with a serene expression adorning her delicate features.

She seemed so…fragile. He couldn't believe this was the same woman that had cared for him for so long, the woman he loved as a parent, the woman he couldn't imagine his life without. She looked like she was sleeping peacefully, her white hair pushed behind her, her pillow resting supportively under her head. He approached slowly, not tearing his gaze off her face; feeling if he looked away, she would be gone forever.

Eventually, he made it to the side of her bed, the sound of his steps reverberating loudly in the silent room. Ignoring the chair, he stood by her bedside. Slowly extending his hand, he gently tucked a lose strand of perfectly ivory hair behind her ear. He rested his hand on her cheek, trying to keep himself together.

He must have woken her as she slowly opened her eyes, looking up at Teddy, a tired smile spreading across her face. He couldn't help but give a sad smile of his own.

"Teddy" she breathed out, the action costing her a great deal of energy. She slowly lifted her hand off her chest, covering his hand with her own. His smile fell from his face when he felt the weakness of her grip, barely any pressure on his own hand.

His gaze fell to their hands. Her older, veined hands were covering his own, tanned ones. Her hands felt so weak, so…cold. She had been ill this summer, but when he left, he thought she was making progress. She was always so independent, so strong; it was so alien for her to be lying here, helpless, in a hospital wing.

His eyes moved back to her face, watching silently as she took several slow, shallow breaths, her eyes closed in concentration. Her face looked pained as she continued her short, uneven breathing. He could hear the sounds of Healers and patients walking noisily outside the door, but he couldn't dare tear his eyes off of her. Nothing outside the hospital door existed. Nothing except Gran mattered anymore.

He had so many thoughts pouring into his head, so many concerns he wanted to express. What was wrong? What can I do? How long will you be here? When can I take you back home? He knew he just couldn't ask all the questions at once, but he still couldn't decide what to ask first.

Finally, he just choked out, "Professor McGonagall wishes you a full recovery Gran."

His Gran slowly re-opened her eyes, quickly finding Teddy's blue eyes with her own. A sad smile crossed her face, but she didn't answer right away. She simply stared up at her grandson, like she may never see him again. She moved her hand, bringing Teddy's to lie on her stomach, her hand still covering his.

"Teddy there won't be a recovery" she replied weakly, pausing to take a few shallow breaths. The sentence must have cost her a great deal as she closed her eyes to re-steady herself.

"Don't talk like that Gran. We'll get the Healers in here and they'll help you get better in no time" he answered hurriedly, trying to convince himself it was the truth. Despite his best effort, he was unable to blink away to tears forming at his eyes as he watched his Gran slipping away.

The salty tears were already beginning to sting his eyes; he knew he couldn't hold them back much longer.

The warm sunlight streaming in from the enchanted windows was beginning to wane. The windows were enchanted to mirror the outside weather and right now, dark clouds were beginning to cover the skies above London.

"Teddy. It's my time" she replied, her voice even softer than before. He could hear her slipping away and it scared him. He wasn't afraid to admit he _needed _his Gran. She was his everything. His only true family, the woman who raised him, the parent he never had.

"Gran you can't go. I need you" he answered, his words almost choking in his throat. His eyes glistening, tears threatening to fall as he couldn't blink them away. He used the sleeve on his free arm to wipe his eyes, a quick sniff before she answered.

She gave her grandson another sad smile, her eyes remaining dry. It seemed she had already accepted her fate, even if Teddy thought he never would.

She slowly reached up with her free hand, Teddy kneeling down to make it easier for her. His knees sank to the floor, trapping the dirty Hufflepuff Quidditch robes as he leaned in over the bed. He was even with her now, feeling her hand gently stroke his cheek, hot tears falling freely down his face. His knees ached against the hard tiles of the hospital floor, but he barely noticed.

"You're so much like your Mother. Both of you were so strong" she answered faintly, her eyes staring straight into Teddy's, his puffy from the salty tears.

Teddy reached up his own hand, capturing hers against his face as he closed his eyes, losing himself in the feeling of her hand against his warm cheek, wishing he had more time. He would give anything for one more day, just one more, with his Gran.

"I'm not like her. I'm not like… Dad. I can't go on without you" he replied, choking on his words through the growing lump in his throat.

"You're wrong Teddy. I see so much of them in you. You're just as stubborn as your Mother was" she responded softly, her tired smile still on her face as she gazed across the bed at her grandson. She no longer had the strength to pick her head off the pillow and was glad he had kneeled to her level.

Teddy couldn't help but give a watery laugh, his Gran had told him many stories of his Mum growing up, most of them involving her legendary tantrums.

"I'm going to join your parents and your Grandfather. I've lived a long life; I'm ready to move on. You need to be strong for me and for your family. I…I…" she didn't finish her sentence as her breaths became too shallow, too ragged to continue. Teddy leaned forward worriedly. He was about to pull away and get the Healer when he felt a light squeeze on his hand.

His Gran's eyes were still closed, but she seemed to control her breathing better, if only momentarily.

The dark clouds had completely covered the afternoon sun, a light mist beginning to fall over the London skyline. A slight breeze was wafting through the enchanted window, sending a cool draft into the white-washed hospital room.

"Teddy, I don't have much time left before…before I go" she continued, her voice growing so faint he had to put his ear right next to her mouth to listen.

"You can't Gran. You _can't_" he whispered urgently, hot tears leaving streaks down his face, his blue hair paling dramatically. He could feel time slipping away. He knew it was close.

Andromeda turned her head to look at her grandson one more time, moving her hand slowly to wipe the tears from his face.

"Will you let me see your eyes…one more time? The eyes that gazed up at me when you were just a baby" she breathed, the strength of her breathing falling to dangerous levels. Teddy could feel her grasp growing weaker as her hand fell from his face.

He blinked away a few more tears before skewing his face in concentration, his eyes firmly closed. He let his Metamorphmagus abilities slip away, the magic slip into the recesses of his body, his true form overtaking his fifteen-year old self.

He felt his hair turn brown, wirier than before. His jaw broadened and his noise widened slightly as his face followed soon after. Finally, he felt his blue eyes morph into their natural chocolate, the eyes of his Father.

He slowly opened his eyes, to find his Gran looking back tiredly his own. She searched his eyes, her smile weak. She held his gaze for what seemed an eternity, a look of true contentment spreading across her features for the first time.

"Thank you Teddy" she sighed weakly, her eyelids closing tiredly.

The hot tears flew down his face uninhibited, the salty water stinging his eyes, but he didn't dare turn away his gaze. He could feel the droplets of warm, salty water fall off his chin, hitting the bed sheet below. His Gran kept the sad smile on her face, opening her eyes silently.

"I love you Teddy. I always will" she sighed as her eyes closed, no longer possessing the strength to hold them open.

Teddy fought the lump in his throat enough to respond, "I love you too Gran."

He could taste the salty tears as they hit the edge of his mouth, the only sense he was aware of besides the soft texture of her matured hands over his.

Finally, Andromeda Tonks closed her eyes. She had fought off long enough to say goodbye to her grandson and it was time to head to the next great adventure; her husband, daughter, and son-in-law by her side.

Teddy placed his free hand over hands as she turned her head, her breaths growing even weaker.

Her chest began to rise and fall less and less until, after a long sigh, her chest didn't rise again.

Her face gained a peaceful expression as her breathing finally slowed to a soft, gentle end. All the pain she had gone through, cutting off ties with her family, losing her cousin Sirius, losing her husband Ted, losing her daughter Nymphadora, her son-in-law Remus, was finally over. She was free, ready to join those she had so sorely missed, at the steep price of leaving her grandson behind.

The light pressure from her hands gently gave way, causing Teddy to squeeze them even harder, willing the pressure to remain. He bent his head, crying softly into the white sheets of the bed, unable to accept the undeniable. She had always been there for him. She was always supposed to be around, always to be there for support, for strength. And now… she was…

…she was gone.

***

Teddy didn't know how long he knelt by his Gran, crying softly into the lining of the bed in his school Team robes. He couldn't tear himself away from her bedside, even as the knowledge that she was truly gone crashed down on him.

He vaguely remembered his Godfather walking in, taking his hands from under Gran's. He longer had the energy to fight back, the energy to do anything anymore.

Harry gently raised the grieving fifteen-year old from the floor, walking him to the bench outside as the Healers walked in the room to make the final arrangements and to call the time of death. He was still in his natural form, not containing the strength to morph even if he had cared.

As he sat on the bench, the tears slowed as he stared at the plain white tiles unblinking, his mind completely devoid of all thoughts. He felt as if a piece of himself stayed in that room, a hole he may never fill. He finally raised his head to gaze at the window, a heavy rain pouring down on the city of London.

His Godfather was sitting next to him, his arm around his shoulder, talking to him comfortingly. Teddy simply nodded, not really listening to what his Godfather was saying. It didn't matter anyway.

He couldn't turn to his Godfather. He couldn't turn to anyone anymore. He was completely…_alone_.

**TVTVTVTVTVTVT**

**Let's keep those reviews coming!**

**Next chapter is VPOV**

**Lots of Teddy/Victoire interaction of course. **


	18. Memories

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**I updated Purple Hair. No major changes, just altered the ages from four and six to seven and nine. There were a few reviews saying the ages seemed off. After re-reading the chapter…I agreed.**

**Enjoy chapter XVIII!**

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

A flash of lightning, illuminating the hilly English countryside outside the scarlet Hogwarts Express. The tremendous storm continued, drenching most of the English Isle in its downpour. The storm pounded on the windows of the Express as it traveled down the tracks to London, the crackling thunder audible through the thick windows, carrying most of the Hogwarts student population in its compartments.

All but one.

Victoire sat in the compartment at the end of train, resting her head against the cool, smooth glass of the window, gazing out into the darkened English sky. Emily, Christian, Taylor, and Chase were in her compartment as well, talking animatedly about the recent Hufflepuff victory. Her friends were still wearing their Hufflepuff colors, even Emily, but Victoire had long since removed her Ravenclaw garb. They were angrily thrown down on the floor of the Hospital Wing long before the scarlet express left the station at Hogsmeade.

She distantly heard Emily, Christian, and Taylor laughing at Chase's antics again, and yet, she felt no desire to join in, her thoughts far from the train.

She was upset, for more reasons than one. She was angry at Jake for snapping at her in the Hospital Wing, but, more importantly, she was worried.

Teddy hadn't made it to the Hogwarts Express when it left the platform in Hogsmeade an hour ago. She hadn't noticed at the time, the lack of blue hair obvious now, but she realized when the train began to move and Teddy didn't appear in their compartment.

When she asked Chase about it, since they were both on the same victorious Quidditch Team they should have roughly the same schedule, he said that Professor Cameron had walked Teddy out of the Common Room a little while before they left for the carriages to take them to Hogsmeade.

The three Hufflepuffs and the dark-haired Gryffindor didn't seem worried at all, probably assuming Professor Cameron had been congratulating him and they had lost track of time. He was probably waiting for them at Platform 9 ¾ right now, laughing after taking a portkey or side-along apparition.

Victoire didn't really believe it, but she couldn't prove it otherwise. Either way, her worry remained as the train rode swiftly toward the heart of England.

She was watching the beads of rain fall down the clear pane of glass when another bolt of lightning lit up the sky. Large yellow eyes, belonging to a large dark-green vulture-like bird, met the light blue eyes of Victoire, startling the Gryffindor. The augurey was gliding next to train, traveling in the tremendous storm. His large, threatening, unblinking yellow eyes sent a shiver down her spine as she locked gazes with the mournful bird. The harsh yellow eyes felt like they pierced right through her, forcing her to keep her gaze locked. Suddenly, the light faded, swallowing the vulture-like creature in the darkness once more. The pounding of the storm on the train the only sound discernable to her ears.

Only moments later, another streak of lightning showed the abandoned countryside, but the augurey was gone, empty hillsides the only view from the window. The augurey had left as fast as it had come, but the feeling of dread intensified, remaining long after those large, yellow eyes had been swallowed up by the darkness.

Victoire hugged herself tightly, an ominous feeling shooting through her, wishing for the hundredth time that Teddy was with her on the Hogwarts Express.

***

But that was three days ago. Three long days ago.

The past half-week had been tough on every member of both the Weasley and the Potter families. It had been especially tough on the lone remaining member of the Lupin clan.

A quiet funeral had been held for Andromeda Tonks. A small service held in the Muggle cemetery where she was buried, next to her husband who had been laid there fifteen years earlier. Only Teddy, Victoire, and the elder members of both the Weasley and Potter families had watched the casket slowly lowered into the ground, a steady rain pounding on the top of the hard wood.

Most of the witnesses had used umbrellas to shield themselves from the downpour, only Teddy had let the rain soak him, the cool water covering the hot tears that poured down his face.

It had rained for three days straight now, with no signs of the storm dissipating anytime soon.

After the ceremony, as Victoire turned, an umbrella in her right hand, her feet impacting the squishy, water-drenched rain, she watched as Teddy continued to stare at the lowered coffin, his expression masked. Only when his Godfather placed a hand on his shoulder did he slowly turn his back to the grave and begin walking to the apparition point, a look of intense pain in his eyes.

Teddy had been sleeping at his childhood home for the past three days, continually denying any invitation to sleep at his Godfather's home or the Burrow. She had only seen Teddy once since the funeral, at the traditional Winter Holiday breakfast at the Burrow.

He had deep bags under his eyes, looking like he hadn't slept well in days. Her Grandma Molly had given him a full plate for breakfast. For a Weasley household that included a heap of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, sausages, pancakes, and large glass of pumpkin juice.

She watched as Teddy only picked at his food, flooing back to his Gran's home before any of the others were even close to finished. He hadn't said a word to any of them except to thank her Grandma Molly for the breakfast and to ask for a pinch of floo powder.

This brought her back to where she was now. Staring out at the storm through the window in her room at Shell Cottage, an unopened letter sitting on her bed and a drying owl perched on her mirror. Both the letter, and the owl, were from Jake.

He had sent three letters during the short break so far, all of them apologizing for shouting at her in the Hospital Wing on the day they left Hogwarts. She hadn't replied to any of them, sending the owl back empty…well not _handed _but certainly without a letter. The only reason Theia, a light brown barn owl, was still in her room was because, as angry as she was at Jake, she wasn't about to send his owl back in the storm for the third consecutive day. Something she knew the owl was immensely thankful for.

"Honey, you in here?" asked a familiar voice from the other side of her closed door, after a series of soft knocks.

Victoire paused, taking her eyes off the storm to look at the Hufflepuff cloak draped over her mirror. Sighing, she replied," yeah, I'm here."

She heard the door open, watching from the corner of her eye as her Dad entered her small bedroom. She felt him sit on the bed beside her, not commenting or asking any questions as to why she hadn't left her room all day. It was almost nine now, the sky having darkened nearly four hours earlier.

"Thinking about Teddy?" he asked softly, moving the letter from Jake absentmindedly to the floor. It was no secret he disliked Jake, even though he had never met him. Father's were just like that she supposed.

Victoire nodded slowly, finally turning to look at her Dad. Her Father could always read her so well, it was no surprise he knew the reason she was so morose during the usually happy Christmas Holiday.

He had bags under his eyes, slightly masked by the deep scars on his face. He, like most of her family, was hit hard by the death of Teddy's Gran. She was always at the Burrow on the weekends, always ready for a quick joke or a funny comment. Her lack of presence was definitely felt.

"Has Uncle Harry been over there?" she asked her Dad, turning her attention back to the falling rain outside.

"Yes, he's been over every day since she passed away. I'm not sure how Teddy is though, he hasn't spent more than an hour outside his house" he answered softly.

Victoire nodded again, not knowing how she should respond. She had been building up the courage to ask her Father a question all day, and she realized, it was now or never.

"Dad, can I go over? To talk to him?" she asked, looking at her Father.

"Of course, I'll ask the next time your Uncle Harry goes over, I'm sure he'll be glad to take you."

"No, I kind of meant sooner than that…as in now" she clarified, still looking up at her Dad.

"Sweetie, I'm not so sure. He's been through a lot…"

Victoire gave her Dad her patented pleading look. Biting softly on her lower lip, giving her best puppy dog eyes, even making her eyes glisten just slightly, she knew she had won the argument long before Bill Weasley had a chance to respond.

"Please Dad. Everyone has been over there. I just want to talk to him. We haven't been…close these past couple months, but I want to help. It means a lot to me."

Bill knew what his daughter was doing and, still, he just couldn't say no to that face. He doted on his daughters and even he knew when it came to them, he was a pushover. Fleur often teased him about it, but when she often let Louis stay inside instead of doing chores on a hot summer day because "her little man was tired,"… well…let's just say she got it as good as she gave it.

"Honey, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go over there alone."

"I'll be fine. I've been over there hundreds of times before. Please?"

Bill looked at his daughter, knowing they were both sensing his defeat.

"OK, I'll apparate you over there. But you have to tell your Mother I gave you a stern lecture before, ok?" he asked his oldest daughter, her eyes lighting up.

Victoire wrapped her arms around her Father excitedly, thanking him repeatedly before getting up to fix her clothes. Bill simply watched his oldest daughter knowing, for perhaps the hundredth time, he had folded like a Muggle lawn chair.

A little while later Victoire was waiting impatiently by the door to Shell Cottage, waiting for her Father. In the living room, her younger sister was being soundly beaten by her nine-year old brother in a game of Wizards' Chess. Dominique, less than a year from attending her first year at Hogwarts, wore her straight red hair at shoulder length. Compared to Victoire, she was the obvious tom boy. Despite Victoire's love of exotic, and usually dangerous, creatures, her inherited looks from her Mother's side gave her an elegant stature.

Dominique on the other hand, had inherited from her Father's side in full force. Everything from her rabid obsession with Quidditch, to her fiery hair, to her definite tom boy attitude screamed Weasley.

Louis, however, was a mix of both families. He had blond hair, like his Mother and oldest sister, but he shared the love of Wizards' Chess inherited from his Uncle and, despite his arguments, was a bit of bookworm. She wasn't sure whether this was a Weasley trait or a Delacour trait, but it was certainly prevalent nonetheless.

Finally, after an eternity, her Father emerged from the kitchen after talking with her Mum, looking like he had been chastised rather thoroughly. He grabbed his cloak and motioned for Victoire, already wearing her cloak, to move to the front step under the overhang. Apparation wards had been erected to contain the insides of most homes since the second war. This included both Shell Cottage and Teddy's home.

"Ready?"

"Yes Dad" sighed Victoire, "can we go?"

"Ok, you know the drill" he laughed at the eagerness of his daughter.

Closing the door behind him after they stepped out under the overhang, he waited for Victoire to place a hand on his arm. When she complied, the pair disappeared with a faint 'pop.'

***

When Victoire arrived at the doorstep of Teddy's home, her eagerness dimmed somewhat. Before, she had been eager to come to Teddy, just to talk to him since the passing of his Gran. Now that she was actually _here_, she didn't know what she was going to say. Her Father, sensing her sudden apprehension put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"You sure you still want to do this? You can always come back with Uncle Harry later or I can come in with you" he asked.

"No, I'm sure" she answered more confident than she felt. Her Father gave her a searching look before nodding and apparating back to Shell Cottage with another 'pop.' He still needed to receive a long, one-sided discussion from his wife after all.

She stood on the doorstep, the small overhang common to many British homes keeping the rain from drenching her. Slowly, she reached up her hand, formed a small fist, and knocked lightly on the door. She waited apprehensively, before knocking again, this time slightly harder.

After nobody came to answer the door again, she gave the doorknob an experiment turn. To her surprise, the door clicked open, opening slightly. She pushed softly on the door, revealing the inside of a home she was very familiar with.

She had been to this house many times before, mostly before Teddy had gone off to Hogwarts and then during the summers thereafter. Everything from the coat hooks to the soft wooden floors to the light blue-tinted walls was familiar to her. This, like the Burrow, had been a second home to her growing up. She had many good memories in this house, memories she wouldn't trade for the world.

Still, she had never seen it like this.

The house was dark, unsurprising considering the darkness of the storm outside. The only light she could see was a faint light at the end of the hall coming from the living room. The house was eerily quiet; the only sound the light pounding of the rain on the roof of the house.

"Teddy?" she called towards the direction of the light. Nobody answered as she cautiously made her way towards the end of the hall. She saw a muggle lamp lit, not surprising considering Teddy's Gran had told her she married a Muggle-born long ago, and a warm fire glowing in the fireplace. The curtains of the living room were open, allowing the occupants to see the rain falling softly outside in the dark sky.

Finally, she drew her attention to the blue-haired boy she had made the trip to see. He looked… exhausted. It was the only way to describe how he looked to Victoire. He was sitting on the right cushion of the comfortable-looking couch in the center of the room. He had deep bags under his eyes, his hair a pale blue, as he gazed longingly at the picture he held in his trembling hands.

"Teddy?" she called again to grab his attention. The blue-haired Prefect slowly lifted his eyes from the photo to meet gazes with Victoire. His eyes, just a shade darker than her natural light blue ones, were clouded with pain and longing. He had deep bags under his eyes, his skin looking more pale than usual.

There was no hint of surprise at her sudden appearance, no emotion whatsoever really at her arrival, just the same numb look he had been wearing for the past few days.

Carefully, she made her way over to the couch, slowly skirting the low table to sit down in the center cushion next to Teddy. She noticed there was a large box sitting on the floor in front of him as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he gazed at the photo. The warm fire and the plush blue blanket on the back of the couch did nothing to clear the air in the room.

She gently leaned over to see the photo, between his outstretched arms. It was a wizarding photo, evident by the moving members of the picture, which must have been at least fifteen years old.

Teddy's Mum was garbed in a beautiful, white dress, her pretty, heart-shaped face beaming with pure joy. To her right was Teddy's Dad, dressed in a smart-looking black tuxedo, his brown hair blowing slightly in the wind, his arm snaked around her waist, his face threatening to break from the size of the smile on his face. Standing next to the newlywed couple was Teddy's Grandparent. Andromeda, who she had met many times before, and the man she, and Teddy, only knew through photos. He wore a lopsided grin, his happiness glowing along with his daughter, son-in-law, and beaming wife. The scene was beautiful; the small wedding held for Teddy's parents was definitely a joyous occasion. All four occupants of the photo were waving at them, the faces grinning in between quick kisses to their respective spouses.

Victoire didn't know much about the Second Wizarding War, but she knew it wasn't long after this picture was taken that Teddy's Grandfather would be killed, his parents following soon after.

She turned her head away from the photo to look up at Teddy, his eyes watering with tears threatening to fall. She lightly touched his arm, waiting for him respond. Finally, he tore his gaze away from the photo to look at Victoire, their eyes meeting.

"I miss her so much Vicky" whispered Teddy softly, caressing the photo of his Gran lightly with his thumb.

"I know…I do too. We all do" she answered, not removing her gaze from Teddy's. Before, she had been excited to come, then apprehensive because she didn't know what to say, but right now, she knew she had made the right choice. Teddy needed her, like the many times she had needed him, and she was determined to give him that support.

Teddy nodded, looking into Victoire's eyes for what seemed an eternity, before shaking his head, as if removing a stray thought.

He reached down into the box nestled neatly between his legs, removing another photo from the pile. As he gazed pensively at another photo of his family, him as a baby with a tuft of blue hair, his Mum and Dad laying next to him, laughing at their young's son antics, Victoire looked into the box as well. There were more than only pictures in the box. She could see a tiny baby's blanket, a golden locket, and a few other items nestled nicely in the box.

Eventually she removed a photo from the top of the pile. As she realized what she was looking at, she tried to stop the giggles, but failed miserably.

She busted out laughing, clutching her sides as she glanced at the photo again. Teddy looked over at her, his eyebrows raised in curiosity, before he leaned in to see the new photo. When he finally saw the full picture, his face split into a wide smile.

It was the first time she had seen that smile in what seemed far too long. It brightened his whole face, lighting up the entire the room. Eventually he started laughing as well, half from the photo, half from the uncontrollable laughter Victoire seemed unable to stop. Everything had been so morose, so somber, these past few days, she just couldn't stop laughing until tears ran down her face, matched only by Teddy's incredibly wide grin as he looked at the wizard photo in Victoire shaking hands.

It was a photo of Victoire, maybe only seven at the oldest, and Teddy, completely covered head-to-foot in slimy, puke-green Stinksap. Victoire's normally wavy blond hair was slick with the foul, green sap, while Teddy's hair had morphed a puke-green of its own, matching the color of the smelly concoction covering them both. They were both standing in a conjured basin, fully garbed, as Teddy's Gran hosed them down using a simple water charm at a little over fifty yards away, her free hand pinching her nose to keep out the smell. Both Victoire and Teddy shared looks of embarrassment that only a foiled prank can bring.

After catching her breath Victoire finally exclaimed, "I can't believe your Gran still had this picture!"

"Me neither. I can't believe this was so long ago, I remember it like it was yesterday" he replied, still smiling when he turned his head towards Victoire.

"Me too! If I recall... this was the first…and last…time we _ever _tried to prank your Gran" she laughed.

"Definitely" he laughed in return, his eyes brightening even more. The bags under his eyes seemed to disappear as they held joy for the first time since the passing of his remaining family. "I believe this was the last time we took advice from Neville as well" he smiled. "I wonder why?"

"Being covered in Stinksap impervious to a cleaning charm was probably a determining factor when you think about it" she pointed out, her smile growing wider.

"Yeah…that probably had something to do with it. I never really forgave that Mimbulus mimbletonia either. I'm not sure how Gran did it, but I'm still convinced that plant was working for her the whole time" he answered, his hand moving to his grin in pensive thought, the wide smile betraying his act.

"Your Gran was pretty amazing, but I doubt even _she _could charm magical plants" she responded, looking Teddy in the eyes once again.

Teddy smiled, not the half sad smile she had seen too frequently recently, but a real, genuine smile.

"Yeah. She was pretty amazing all right" he sighed. "She was everything to me. And now…now I don't know what to do. She was all I had."

"Teddy" softly spoke Victoire, grabbing the older boy's hand in her own, "you have us. You have your Godfather, you have your _family_, and you have _me_" she finished.

Teddy gave her hand a light squeeze, nodding while not breaking eye contact.

"I know I've been a bit…stubborn these past few days, but I really think that I'm beginning to realize that. I just need some time."

"Teddy, you haven't been stubborn, you've done what any of us would have done. You have every right to grieve over your Gran. She was an amazing woman. But, she would want you to move on, to live your life. She loved you, and she wouldn't want you to hole up in your house, cutting off ties with the rest of the people that love you."

Teddy nodded again, smiling at the pretty Gryffindor witch. Slowly, his smile faded, as he continued to lock his eyes on her own. She could still see the longing in his eyes, but she hoped that her help, as brief as it had been so far, had at least helped him a little.

"Thanks Victoire. For…everything" he spoke, barely louder than a whisper, removing one of his hands from her own to gently push a stray piece of wavy, blond hair behind her ear. His eyes searched her own as she realized just how close their faces were.

Victoire's breath hitched slightly, as she felt his warm breath, his face mere inches from her own. She could see the depth of blue eyes as they searched her own, all the passion and raw emotion he had felt the past few days flowing freely from them.

And, just as sudden, Teddy pulled, shaking his head again, seemingly to remove that stray thought once more.

"I…I just wanted to say thanks" he spluttered. Victoire pulled away as well, her mood pensive. She had thought, just for a second, that she and Teddy were about to…no…that was ridiculous. It was _Teddy _for Merlin's sake.

"So how's Jake?" he began, asking the question clearly evident on his mind.

"Don't know" she brushed off, ignoring the question. She definitely did _not _want to think of _that _Ravenclaw right now. Reaching deep into the box, her finger touched something solid. It wasn't smooth or cold like the metal locket, but felt rough, like stone. She pulled out the object to see a small stone shard. It seemed so out of place with the other family items in the box.

She looked over to ask Teddy about it before she realized he was resting his head on the back of the couch, his body betraying just how tired he felt.

"Teddy, how many hours have you been sleeping?" she asked, trying to change the atmosphere. She was still a bit confused herself as she laid the oddly familiar stone shard on the table.

He only shrugged in reply, an answer clearly not good enough for the thirteen-year old.

"Teddy" she growled threateningly. He opened one eyelid carefully, watching the blond cautiously.

"Each day or since break started?" he asked, clearly skirting the question.

"Since break started."

"Two hours" he shrugged.

"Teddy, I said since break began" she reiterated.

"I know."

Victoire paused, staring at the fifteen-year old incredulously. "You've slept _two _hours in _three _days?!"

"Couldn't sleep" he shrugged again.

Victoire felt her formidable Weasley temper flaring once more, before she realized Teddy had ever right to stay awake. His nights were assuredly restless and, besides, she couldn't be mad at him now, not after what he'd been through.

"Hey, why don't we make some of my Gran's tea. I want to look at a few more things. Ok?" asked Teddy, clearly deflecting the situation.

Victoire sighed before nodding, getting up to move to the kitchen. She walked the short distance as the lights magically flicked on in the cozy kitchen. She found an old kettle and filled it halfway with water from the sink.

After placing the kettle on the stove for thirty seconds, the loud whistling signaled the water was already at a boil. Thinking 'I love magic' happily, she found the aforementioned tea bags, two cups, and a few squares of sugar.

Preparing the two cups of tea, she walked back to the living room to find Teddy resting against the back of the couch, his eyes closed, and a peaceful expression on his face.

Smiling to herself, she placed the two cups of warm tea on the small table in the center of the room. The storm had calmed, only a light shower of rain still falling in the dark sky. The light in the kitchen had turned off by itself, leaving only the muggle lamp in the corner and the fire providing light in the house.

She turned off the muggle lamp first, before turning to prepare one of the recliners for her bed for the night. She knew where Teddy's Gran had kept the spare blanket and pillows and it didn't take her long to prepare a makeshift bed.

The warm glow of the fire filled the room with a faint light, the heat from the fire keeping the living room a pleasant temperature. She walked the short distance to the couch, sighing before lifting the exhausted blue-haired boy's feet to lay the length of the couch. His head rested on the plush arm rest, but the blanket was still draped over the back of the wide couch.

She leaned over, intent upon pulling the blanket over her sleeping friend, when she lost her balance, falling softly atop his chest. She tried to stand back up when she realized strong hands had snaked around her waist keeping her firmly against his hard chest.

She looked down to his face to see he was still fast asleep, though a light smile now adorned his features. She tried again to get up before realizing Teddy's grip, even asleep, was more than enough to keep her from moving. She tried in vain to move back to her recliner for a few minutes before sighing in defeat.

_Well…if you can't beat 'em…_

Victoire carefully removed her trainers, before laying down the length of the couch, snuggling her back against Teddy's chest. She pulled the blanket over the both of them, reveling in the blissful feeling she was in.

Teddy, for his part, sighed contently as he pulled Victoire tighter against him, the light from the fire, dancing off his darker blue hair.

She knew it was her best friend Teddy. She also knew if her Father found her in the morning there would be a _lot _of questions.

But…she also knew how _right _it felt to be held by Teddy. His soft breathing sent goose bumps down her neck, the light breeze tickling her ear. Sighing in contentment, she slowly drifted off to sleep, Teddy's warm hands holding her close.

***

Later in the night, the soft pounding of the rain had disappeared as the storm finally passed over England. The light danced off the fallen dew as the newly born sun slowly rose over the horizon, the light trickling in through the clear windows of the quant home.

Inside the small home nestled in the English countryside, lay two teens by a dying fire. The warm glow was slowly dissipating, but the two teens didn't stir. The wavy blond haired girl felt the sudden cold, snuggling up closer to the warm body behind her. The blue-haired boy gently held her closer, still fast asleep under the soft blanket.

Just as gently, Harry Potter left the living room, a smile adorning his face. He made his way back to the door after only entering the small home minutes before. He didn't have the heart to wake the slumbering teens as he softly closed and locked the door from the front step outside.

He'd be back in a few hours, before Victoire's Dad came, to wake them, but for now, with a wide grin on his face, he disapparated, leaving them together on the warm, comfortable couch.

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVT **

**How was that?**

**Next chap is TPOV**

**Weasley Christmas at the Burrow obviously!**

**Besides, what's up with Jake? **

**Leave a Review --- You know you want to!**


	19. A Very Weasley Christmas

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

**Priestpotter:**

**I can't believe it took me over a month to update. Between classes, work, and just a dash of writer's block, I couldn't concentrate enough to write a good chapter. I don't consider myself a writer, so I have to plow through the writing, not just wait for it to come to me. Even this chapter feels… I don't know…choppy I guess. Thank you for all the reviews, but I won't even ask for you to review this chapter, not after having to wait over four weeks for it! **

**Btaylahf: This story will only be up until the end of Fifth year (Teddy). If there's enough push for a sequel I'll write it for either Teddy's Sixth OR Seventh Year, but not both. **

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

Teddy woke gradually the next morning, feeling well-rested for the first time in far too long. He felt warm, the plush blue blanket lying comfortably around him. The soft comfort of the couch behind him, its soft cushions and back molding perfectly to his body, but he could also feel the warm body lying in front of him, his arm snaked over her waist.

Slowly shaking off his drowsiness, his eyes were met with a wall of intense gold, the sun illuminating Victoire's golden locks. She was still sleeping peacefully, her body pressed lightly against his, her regular breathing the only sound disturbing the calm of the home. The sun was peeking through the far window, prompting the birds to begin their chorus.

Teddy shifted slightly, his head moving closer to Victoire's fiery golden hair. She smelled lightly of an ocean breeze and lilies which, really, is just how one would describe Victoire. Victoire, to everyone that knew her, was a force to be reckoned with. Inheriting both the Weasley temper and stubbornness, she could give any one of her Uncles a run for their money, though judging by his Godfather's terrified rants, she was still leagues away from Ginny. He knew her well enough to know she also inherited all the best qualities from her family as well, merging into something completely unique.

On the outside, inherited from her maternal side, she was beautiful. Yes, he now realized that Victoire, despite not having as many curves as Amber, was definitely beautiful. Amber was beautiful in typical sense, pretty face, curves in all the right places, and a …well endowed chest. Victoire didn't have those same curves, but she could light up a room just by walking in, make a dreary day seem beautiful, something Amber couldn't hope to ever achieve. Victoire's beauty was unique, not stereotypical.

How he hadn't realized it before was incredible, but he couldn't deny any longer that his best friend, the same girl that had once shoved him in the mud for ruining her dress on her fifth birthday, was beautiful. Now that he knew, he still wasn't sure what to make of it. Taking a leaf from Hermione, he thought it best to realize where to continue, by judging from where you came.

He had been preparing for another long, lonely night searching through old photos again, trying to find a glimpse of happiness since his brief visit to St. Mungo's, when Victoire had arrived. At the time, he barely noticed her presence. He had been living in a daze, and, at first, the arrival of a friend he had barely spoken to in months, hadn't changed that.

But just talking about his Gran with Victoire, something he hadn't even been able to with his Godfather, had been so easy. Looking over those pictures with her had been so different than searching through those photos alone. Instead of the gnawing, longing sensation he had felt the past few days as he stared at the smiling faces of his family, he felt nostalgic, as if _enjoying_ his memories and not trying to _escape_ to them.

He rested himself lightly on his elbow, watching Victoire sleep, her wavy blond hair falling perfectly, her face content. Spying the rising sun through the large windows of his home, dancing off the fallen dew, he knew it was time to get up. His Godfather would be coming soon for their trip back to Grimmauld Place, and he still needed to eat and get ready. He would let Victoire sleep for a little while though. She was resting so peacefully, snuggled tightly against his chest, her soft breathing moving the lone strand of hair dangling in front of face, that he just didn't have the heart to wake her.

Doubting his eye-hand coordination skills to maneuver around Victoire without waking her, he quickly decided it would probably be easiest to move over the back of the couch. He was a good Keeper, but his inherited clumsiness left him… wary… of difficult maneuvers when away from his broom. He didn't trip nearly as often as when he was younger, but as he got older, his trips did become substantially more… _spectacular_.

He didn't think they'd ever been able to fully repair that wall. _Not _one of his finer moments. Besides, he'd lived here for his entire life, he knew what the couch could, and couldn't, withstand.

Carefully, he extracted his arm from over Victoire's waist, still confused by the longing sensation he felt when his arm was no longer snaked over his best friend. Apparently, he wasn't the only one, as Victoire, still fast asleep, shifted uncomfortably, pressing farther into the warm body behind her. Teddy knew, instinctively, that if he didn't get up from the couch now, there was no chance he would be leaving all day. Fighting the urge to mould back into his previous position on the soft couch, he pushed himself higher on his free arm, putting some weight on his free leg as well to balance himself.

He could hop over the back of the couch, his socks hopefully muffling his landing. His Godfather would probably be arriving any minute now, but he could still fit in a quick shower and grab a small breakfast. No one was ever on schedule when they had to contend with both James _and _Al. Throw Ginny and Lily in for good measure, and he still had a good half-hour before Harry showed up.

Teddy pushed his weight back, slowly continuing to lift his weight as he slid up the back of the couch. Precariously sitting on the back of the couch, he cautiously turned his body, preparing to swing his legs over and land softly on the other side.

And really, he almost made it.

But, as Tristan would often quote, "Almost is only good enough for horseshoes and hand grenades." He had been talking about a laxative-slipped Fifth-year Slytherin's mad dash to the nearest bathroom of course, but the comparison could still be made.

In _that _case, almost was _definitely _not good enough. Not for whoever had to clean the floor anyways.

As he swung his legs, Victoire shifted in her sleep, obviously missing the warmth from Teddy's body, capturing one of the legs mid flight. The other leg jammed into the crevice between the couch and the plush cushions, imprisoning the leg instantly.

Teddy's weight, however, was beyond the point of no return, despite the fact that his feet would be nowhere near the floor when he landed.

Most couches have a low center of gravity, able to support heavy weights on their cushions. They are _not _built, however, to keep balance when a fully grown teenager is hanging off the back. Teddy's couch, unfortunately, was _exactly _like most couches.

The couch tipped back, its front legs lifting inches off the wooden floorboards. Its speed grew, seemingly more confident, as the back of the couch grew an unexplainable attraction to the hard floor below.

Teddy fell to the floor with a resounding 'thump,' the low table knocked over in the process, photos and sentimental items flying haphazardly across the floor. The leg trapped in the cushions of the unstable couch had freed mid-flight, but the leg pinned by Victoire, however, had not.

"Umph!"

Victoire's knee had conveniently decided to land just under Teddy's rib cage, knocking the wind from his lungs. Even through the loud crash and the hard fall, though it may have been considerably softer for Victoire than Teddy, the sleeping blond was still out like a light.

She lay on top of the blue-haired Hufflepuff, still sleeping peacefully, completing oblivious to the destruction and change in scenery around her. Really, Teddy should have known better. It would take more than a simple _collision _to wake a sleeping Weasley.

Teddy's head was still swimming from the impact against the floor, when, almost thirty-seconds later, Victoire's eyes began to flutter open. Shaking off her drowsiness, she slowly looked at Teddy with her soft blue eyes before searching her surroundings with confusion.

"Why are we on the floor?" she asked sleepily, full comprehension well beyond her reach. When Teddy didn't respond, she asked her question again, this time shouting it in his ear.

"Your…knee" wheezed Teddy. Victoire looked down to find her knee pinned into Teddy's chest, her eyes going wide before quickly releasing her knee.

Teddy took a deep breath immediately, his lungs freed, cursing Sir Isaac Newton, the Muggle Hermione had told him about, for _ever_ inventing gravity. Useless invention really. Besides, you have to blame Isaac after all, can't very well be blaming the bloody _apple_.

Once he had taken a few breaths, he heard Victoire voice her question for the third time, this time refraining from shouting it in his now sensitive ear drum.

"For the view of course" he answered, his head swimming slightly as he rubbed the growing lump on the back of his head. How do you _tell _when you have a concussion? He thought he once heard something about not being able to remember the date. Good thing today was…was… _damn._

"Oh really? Well, judging by the table and the couch, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you didn't plan this" she replied, holding her finger to her chin in mock concentration. How she had gone from incredibly destructive explosion-ignoring sleep to fully awake in a matter of minutes was something he'd never understand.

"Oh _that_? I did that for effect of course" waving his hand dismissively. He would have nodded his head to complete the look, but the stars behind his eyes told him otherwise.

"Oh I'm sure" she answered, trying to look stern but failing miserably.

"What you don't believe me? I have a great future in home decorating" he countered, smiling at the laughing blond above him. His headache was starting to pass. All those Keeper head injuries must be paying off finally.

"Yeah and I'm a Blibbering Humdinger" claimed Victoire.

"That's impossible. I know for a fact that Blibbering Humdingers aren't ticklish."

"Huh? What does that have to…" started Victoire before being flipped by the fast moving fifteen-year old. She didn't get a catch to finish her sentence before Teddy attacked her sides, years of experience knowing her spots of weakness.

Teddy mercilessly attacked the helpless Third-year. Pinning her against the floor boards, her laughter ringing through the empty house, her protests falling on deaf ears. She tried valiantly to escape, not able to shrug off the laughing older boy, her own laughter hindering any attempt at fleeing.

"Mercy! Mercy!" laughed Victoire, still trying to roll out from under Teddy, her breaths shallow as she recovered from her attack.

He relented, sitting back, his face split into a wide grin. He forgot how much he loved spending time with Victoire and, even in the wake of his Gran's passing, he was glad she was here. He looked down at the recovering blond below him, her blond hair fanned out behind her. His blue eyes met her pale blue, laughter still clear in her eyes.

He couldn't help, but smile at her, Victoire returning the smile in earnest. She was still under him, looking up at the blue-haired boy above her, her eyes betraying her amusement, but another emotion he just couldn't place.

He leaned forward, leaning on his right hand, placed just to the side of her head. He locked his eyes on hers, trying to determine the flicker of emotion in her eyes. The rising sun was illuminating her wavy hair, giving her an almost glowing appearance.

He leaned forward, his face hovering just above her own. He saw the amusement, clearly, but as he leaned forward, he saw overwhelming excitement and even a flicker of fear. Their faces were just inches apart now, Teddy steadily leaning forward, their noses almost touching. He could her warmth breath on his face, her soft blue eyes still locked on his. Her pretty features were accented beautifully in the rising sun's warm rays, helping him realize this perhaps wasn't the same little girl he had stolen a Firebolt ride with all those years ago. He wasn't sure what had come over him, but he _was _sure he didn't want to stop. Not just yet…

"Ahem" cleared a throat in the hallway. Teddy looked up to see…his Godfather of course.

Harry James Potter was standing just inside the threshold of the door, a knowing smile on his face. His eyes were alight with amusement, as if he had just pulled the world's greatest prank.

Teddy stared at his Godfather before looking back down at Victoire. She seemed, oddly enough, relieved and disappointed at the same time. He shook his head, regaining some rational thought processing, rising to his feet, pulling Victoire up softly shortly after.

He'd have time to sort out what just happened later and, if need be, ask his Godfather for advice. Harry had never given him bad advice before…well…except for the time he said giving a Gnome a slingshot wasn't a bad idea. He _still _had pebble-shaped marks on his arse from that day.

The three occupants of the home stood in the hallway for a second, no words spoken. The adult stood by the door, his eyes still alit with amusement and a knowing smile etched on his face as he looked back and forth between the two teenagers.

Finally, Victoire, not meeting his eyes, mentioned she should take a shower before heading home, quickly excusing herself to the bathroom. She had stayed enough times to know where everything was, even having her own trunk just filled with her clothes.

He wasn't ready yet to explain what happened, or the unfamiliar sensation in his stomach just yet, so he didn't complain about being left to face his Godfather alone.

Instead, Teddy took the time to see the mini-destruction that had swallowed the living room. The couch was still overturned, along with the solitary table in the center of the room. Photos and other objects lay scattered across the room though, thankfully, unharmed.

Harry just stood in the hallway, the smile never leaving his face as he looked at his Godson.

"Hey" began Teddy. He had been somewhat distant with his Godfather for the past few days and he wasn't quite sure where to steer the conversation.

Harry, for his part, just laughed before walking up to the bewildered blue-haired boy and giving him a rough hug.

"How you been?" he finally asked, holding Teddy at arm's length.

"I'm getting better" he answered honestly. "Victoire's helped"

"I can see that" he answered with a chuckle before continuing, "I'm so proud too! Took me almost a year longer before I figured it out."

"Figured what out?" he asked skeptically.

Harry looked at his Godson critically for a few seconds before breaking out in a wide grin.

"You really haven't realized it yet? But when I walked in…you and…" he started, "You are _definitely _Remus' boy" he laughed, ignoring the confused looks from his Godson.

His Godfather looked around the room, his smile fading somewhat when he saw the many photos of Teddy's family.

"We are here for you, you know. For anything" he added, growing slightly more serious.

"I know. It's going to take me time, but…I know Gran wouldn't want me to hole up here, forgetting about everyone else. Victoire helped me see that, even if she doesn't know it, and I think I'm beginning to accept that."

His Godfather nodded slowly, understanding flooding his powerful green eyes.

"One day were going to have a heart-to-heart about this you know, just so you're warned. But for right now, if you'll excuse me, I may or may not see a few sweets that are calling my name" he answered, eyeing the kitchen hungrily.

Rolling his eyes at his Godfather, he walked over to the couch, overturning it gently before righting the table as well. His Godfather meanwhile had escaped to the kitchen, full enamored in his quest to find Gran's famous treacle tarts. Ginny, after Al and James tore through an entire bag of cauldron cakes and proceeded to blow their _fourth _door off the hinges, had banned _all _sweets from 12 Grimmauld Place.

His Godfather, reduced to receiving smuggled contraband (Peppermint Toads) from Ron at work, wasn't fairing well under the new regime rule. The thought brought a smile to his face as he started to collect the photos and things from the floor, hearing his Godfather exclaim in joy at finding his quested treats. It was comforting to know that somethings, like the craziness of his Godfather, wouldn't change and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Teddy had just placed another stack of photos on the table when he saw something lodged under the recliner in the corner. Apparently, it had flown farther than most of the objects, wedging itself under the chair, obscured from view.

Moving down to one knee, he reached his hand under the recliner, grasping for the object he had seen from across the room. His hand grabbed a small object, no larger than a galleon, but shaped different, almost jagged.

The oddest part, however, was as his hand touched the mysterious object; he felt a tingling sensation shoot through his arm, starting at the tips of his fingers until it traveled the length of his arm, causing an involuntary shudder. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant sensation, but disconcerting nonetheless, almost like hitting your funny bone.

Pulling the object from under the couch, he held a seemingly innocent stone shard in his palm. A rough texture, the gray stone felt warm to the touch, like a heat emanated from the core of the stone itself. He knew the shape well or, more accurately, the outline. He had stared at the missing slot of the stone column for far too many hours on too many nights not to know he held the missing piece in his hand.

The question was, however, what was the stone shard, of a column residing in an abandoned corridor at Hogwarts, doing at the bottom of his Gran's box? How did the stone shard find its way _here_? From Gran? From Mum or Dad?

Teddy sat and stared at the stone shard for a few minutes, his head buzzing with questions he had no answers too. The shard, unlike the cool stone of the column, remained warm to the touch, giving off a small, but continual heat. It seemed an innocent stone piece, no distinctive markings, but someone knew enough about it to keep it, hidden in a box of memories.

"Hey, you ready to go? James and Al are practically bouncing off the walls waiting for… you ok?" asked his Godfather, seeing Teddy's shocked look. He had stepped around the righted couch, seeing Teddy holding a broken rock fragment in his outstretched hand, his Godson's eyes wide with amazement.

"Wha…? Oh yeah I'm fine. Just zoned out for a bit" he answered, not tearing his eyes off the shard, but shooting his Godfather a weak grin. Something deep within him told him not to tell anyone about the stone, to keep it hidden, even from his Godfather. Quickly hiding it in his back pocket, he stood up, facing his Godfather with his weak grin still in place. The stone was important, he just didn't know why.

Harry just nodded, obviously unconvinced. "If you want a little more time, we can always wait. It took me a while to get over my Godfather's death after all; I know how hard it is."

Teddy looked up at his Godfather, seeing the worry in his piercing green eyes. "No I'm fine, really. Just zoned out a bit. Let's go see my James, Al, and Lily" he responded, motioning towards the door. He needed a shower, but considering he had an entire dresser full of clothes at his Godfather's house, it wasn't really a problem.

"Well…ok. As I said, James and Al are practically bouncing off the walls to see you. I really don't feel like repairing any windows though, so we should hurry up. Oh, if you get trampled walking in the door…I did warn you" he cautioned the blue-haired boy, a smile spreading on his face.

Teddy laughed "I'll be ready for it. Oh, I should bring my Quidditch robes, they haven't been washed yet and if the smell gets any worse, I'm probably going to have to burn them."

Teddy walked back into the hall, walking up the short staircase to his room. Grabbing the filthy Hufflepuff robes from the floor, he walked back down to the main hall, ready to follow his Godfather back to Grimmauld Place.

As he set the clothes down on a nearby chair, still waiting for Victoire to get out the shower, he heard a small sound, like when setting a glass cup down on a table. Reaching into his Quidditch robes, he extracted a small, clear sphere… the Remembrall.

Teddy fought of the sudden wave of pain, seeing the object that had brought him to St. Mungo's only days earlier. The portkey, that had whisked him away from the inviting corridors of Hogwarts to the cold, uniform rooms of St. Mungo's Wizarding Hospital. To the place where he had lost the last of his family.

But, that wasn't true…not really. Maybe they weren't related, but he still had family. Of that, he was sure. He was surrounded by people that loved him, a fact he was amazed he had forgotten. He was surrounded by a massive family, all of them he considered blood-related.

As he finished the thought, the Remembrall changed, its clear interior clouding with dense red smoke. He knew that reaction, but it still surprised him. What had he forgotten?

As he looked up, he saw Victoire, standing in the hall, her wavy hair still wet from her shower. She was wearing a light yellow top, a pair of faded jeans to compliment it. She was waiting by his Godfather, laughing at story that probably involved James, Al, and week's worth of grounding . She turned, spotting Teddy in the hallway, throwing him a wide smile. Teddy couldn't help but return the smile, not taking his eyes off his childhood best friend.

Of course…

He had Victoire. Victoire wasn't quite _just _family. She was more, she was…_Victoire_. It was the only way he could describe it.

And how could he ever forget?

Following his best friend and his Godfather from his home, he never noticed the Remembrall fading back to its normal smooth, clear surface, all thoughts remembered.

***

**VPOV**

"And then he said 'that's not a goblin! That's my wife!'" exclaimed Uncle Ron, causing a huge bout of laughter at the Christmas feast. The entire Weasley family had come together for the Christmas feast this year, sitting around a table in the backyard of the Burrow. They were in a warming-charmed tent, enjoying one of the better Weasley traditions. Enchanted lights lined the interior of the white tent, giving the occupants plenty of light to enjoy their feast.

Grandpa Arthur sat at the head of the table, the joy on his face as he watched his family exceeded only by his wife, sitting on his right. Near the happy, elder couple sat the adults, eating their Christmas dinner between their many stories. The entire family hadn't been together in a while, and they were taking full advantage. Harry and Angelina were talking Quidditch, using their forks as props when just words couldn't do a move justice. Ginny and Hermione were laughing together, mirrored by Ron and George, still entertaining Mum and Dad with their many jokes. Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey were both grinning as they listened to the boisterous pair. Mum, Dad, and Aunt Gabrielle were also laughing at the lively duo.

The biggest surprise, however, was Uncle Charlie, laughing with Tracey Davis, Tristan's Mum. Tristan and his Mum had arrived just before the start of dinner, much to the delight of her best friend who had been worried they wouldn't show up. She hadn't really talked much to Tristan before tonight, but, even though he could be a bit frustrating, he seemed like a good guy.

His Mum, for lack of a better word, was gorgeous. With shoulder length blond hair, kind green eyes, and a figure even Victoire could appreciate, she was a knock-out. A fact her Uncle Charlie, judging by the smile on his face and the unwavering attention they were giving each other, was fully aware of. They were seated together by "accident" (thanks Grandma Molly) and had been laughing together since the appetizers.

Uncle Charlie was telling her the background story to the shiny burn on his muscular bicep, a story featuring a hungry Hungarian Horntail, a red-headed wizard, and all the Stunning spells you can shake a stick at. Tracey was obviously enjoying the story, judging by the awed looks she was shooting him.

Smirking at her Uncle and her matchmaking Grandmother, she turned her attention to the other end of the table. Her many cousins were sitting together, a decision Victoire still wasn't sure was very wise.

Her brother Louis was sitting by Molly and Lucy, while James, Al, and Fred, against all common sense, were seated together. Christmas truly was a time of miracles as it _certainly_ constituted as a miracle that the terrible trio hadn't exploded the mash potato bowl…_yet_.

Seated farther down the table were Rose, Hugo, Roxanne, and Lily, all talking excitedly to one another. Another surprise near the table center, where she and Teddy sat next to each other, was Dominique and Tristan, who seemed to have actually gotten off to a good start.

From what Teddy had said earlier, Tristan was normally reserved, but the unlikely duo had been talking for most of the evening. Unlike Uncle Charlie and Tracey, they actually _were _seated together by accident and seemed, against all odds, well on their way to friendship.

"Victoire, stop staring at everyone! You're freaking me out" joked Teddy, waving his hand in front of the blond.

"Oh shut it" she retorted, throwing him a grin. He just laughed in reply before diving back into his plate.

"Victoire, why does your family keep such Dark Artifacts on the table? Its Christmas!" asked Tristan suddenly.

Victoire rolled her eyes before answering the First-year. "For the last time, it's not a Dark Artifact, its cauliflower."

"Hmm, looks pretty Dark…"

"It's looks, tastes, and smells like a vegetable, I think we're safe" she responded, sounding exasperated.

"Yeah, you're probably right. It _is _a pretty good alibi… though maybe a little _too_ good…" he answered, warily poking the albino-looking broccoli dish.

Narrowing her eyes, she was about to reply before a look from Teddy told her it just wasn't worth it. Really, she had to agree.

'BOOM'

Victoire calmly turned her head to see James, Al, Fred, and poor Lucy covered in mash potatoes, three of the four sporting wide grins. Lucy, however, was glaring at the three boys, a spoon full of corn held threateningly in her right hand.

Well…had to happen sometime. The adults, even Grandma Weasley, didn't bat an eyelash at the small explosion, well used to the antics of their notorious prankster children. When you have an Uncle that owns, operates, and invents for a joke shop, keeping your children from being pranksters will always be a losing battle.

Victoire and Teddy had been known to cause more than a few commotions when they were younger, but they had shied away from that recently, content to let a new group of pranksters take the forefront. Besides, it just made getting away with pranks _that _much easier. _Nobody_ ever suspected the pretty blond and the older blue-haired boy when James and Al were present.

"Ah finished! What do you think?" asked Tristan, unveiling his masterpiece. A few rearranged vegetables and a well placed slab of turkey, and Tristan, like most other four year olds, has changed his plate into a face.

"Looks good. So…you're fifth birthday is coming up! You excited?!" smirked Victoire.

"Oh, you're just jealous you didn't make Tim first" he responded airily, fixing his food face slightly.

"I am _not _jealous of that perverted form of a face" she answered, ignoring smiles from Teddy and Dominique. If she had, she may have realized that Tristan was pulling one over on her.

"What?! I will have you know that Tim only likes other fully grown food faces, not children food faces" he answered defensively, causing Teddy to break out laughing.

"She said…she said.." he began, unable to stop laughing to collect enough breathe to finish his sentence, "pervert, _not _pedophile!"

"Oh ok! Hmm…maybe, don't really know him that well…" he responded, looking at his creation critically.

"You don't the face, that you just made thirty seconds ago and have named _Tim_, that well?" asked Victoire heatedly.

"Nope. Do you?"

Teddy and Dominique laughed while she scowled, gripping her knife threateningly before Teddy decided it was best for everyone, and especially Tristan, if he intervened.

"Hey Victoire, how'd your classes go for the first half of the year? I don't think I ever asked you" spoke Teddy, turning his head toward the Gryffindor, obviously trying to defuse the situation.

"Oh, well they went well. I'm still dreadful at Transfiguration, but Care of Magical Creatures is amazing" she answered hesitantly, slowly taking her eyes off the Slytherin.

"So, you still plan on becoming Minister of Magic? Like when you were seven?" asked Teddy, grinning while he reached for another helping of mince pies.

"Oh, of course not! I plan on becoming Minister of Magic _and _the Muggle Prime Minister, just for kicks obviously" she answered, eating a generous piece of Christmas pudding.

"Really? Impressive. How do you suggest about accomplishing that?" he responded, turning his full attention to the blond. Dominique and Tristan were listening, both smirking.

"Hmm, good point. I guess I'll just wait until it comes to me" she answered cheekily.

"Ah, but a goal without a plan is a wish" spoke Tristan sagely, pointing his fork for emphasis.

"Yes, and a donut without a hole is a Danish" concurred Dominique, nodding her head at Tristan's input.

"Too true Dom. Too true" they agreed, both nodding their heads.

Teddy and Victoire exchanged a look before the blond sighed heavily, dipping her head.

"My own sister has gone over! Merlin, what have I done to deserve this?!" whined Victoire, holding her head in her hands. Tristan, Dominique, and Teddy laughed, returning to their plates to enjoy the rest of their feast.

***

The Christmas dinner went smoothly with Lucy deciding that, following Tristan's advice, revenge was a dish best served cold. Hopefully, it wouldn't be served at all until _after_ she returned to Hogwarts.

The many contented occupants of the Christmas table were rising, ready for a full night of slumber after an extremely filling meal. Between the mounds of food and the generous portion of French wine, Mum's gift of course, most of the guests decided on floo travel rather than Apparation.

Alcohol tended to make concentrating more difficult and after eating a full meal, Apparating all that extra weight could be…_problematic_. Although, spinning during floo travel could produce less than ideal circumstances as well, but nobody ever said Wizard travel was perfect.

After helping to clear the table, most of the family had congregated by the main fireplace. Uncle Percy's family was the first to leave, followed soon after by Uncle George and his family.

"I'll see you back at school Tristan" spoke Teddy, waving at his friend as he flooed through the fire, turning to talk to Aunt Hermione. His Mum was walking into the fire before hesitating turning around to face Uncle Charlie.

She walked up the muscular red-head, giving him a small hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Floo me" she whispered, turning around to floo in the fire, leaving the Burrow behind.

Uncle Charlie stood by the fire, gazing into the green flames with a goofy grin on his face, holding the spot on his cheek where Tracey had kissed him. He probably would have stood there until morning if we had let him.

"Come on Uncle Charlie, you look like a love-struck teenager" she teased, nudging her much larger Uncle. He looked down at the blond, regaining some of his composure.

"That's rich coming from you" he laughed, nodding his head to somewhere behind her.

"What are you talking…" she began, turning her head to look where he'd indicated. She saw Teddy, laughing with Aunt Hermione, Uncle Harry joining in as well. His shaggy hair was its normal vibrant electric blue, his blue eyes dancing with amusement. He turned, catching Victoire's eye, throwing her brilliant smile.

She smiled back, almost involuntarily, the unfamiliar fluttering sensation starting again as her heart beat just a little faster. She wasn't sure what was happening on the Teddy Lupin front, but she knew she liked it.

"As great as it is to watch you two stare at each other, I'm going upstairs to get some shuteye. Can I get a quick hug if you can grant me some attention for a few seconds" he laughed, dragging her attention away from the blue-haired Fifth-year.

"Oh shut it" she answered, giving her Uncle a long hug. He was leaving early tomorrow morning, back to Romania, and she wanted to get her hug in if she didn't see him leave in the morning. Surrounded by her Uncle's strong arms, she thought, as unfair as it may seem, he was probably her favorite Uncle.

"I'll wake you up before I leave tomorrow alright?" he asked, smiling. She nodded as he headed upstairs, ready to sleep in one of the many rooms at the Burrow. Just before disappearing from view, he turned on the step, looking back at Victoire.

"Make sure you go by Hagrid's when you go back. You'll thank me" he added, turning up the stair quickly.

She was about to shout after him, wondering if it was something dangerous, and therefore _cool_, when her Grandma Molly spoke up.

"Is that an owl? This late on Christmas?"

She turned to look out the window, clearly finding the owl in the night. She recognized it immediately, as it flew in the window of the Burrow.

It was Jake's owl, holding yet another letter.

"I've got it Grandma, I know who it's from" she yelled, holding in her anger. She still didn't plan on responding to the owl, no matter how many were sent.

She extracted the letter from the owl, walking out into the cool night. Surprisingly, Jake's owl followed her, hooting softly as she walked out into the yard. She looked down at the brown letter, reading the note written on the front.

_Victoire Weasley_

_PLEASE OPEN!_

Looking at the owl, perched innocently on the window ledge of the house, she sat on one of the many benches lining the Burrow during the holidays. The cool air helped mitigate her frustration at Jake somewhat.

Ripping open the letter, she hastily read the short note.

_PLEASE read me Victoire!_

_I know you're upset with me, but please hear me out._

_I snapped at you in the Hospital Wing and I'm sorry, but it WASN'T from losing my match. I've been dealing with a lot of things and it all sort of accumulated. I know it doesn't excuse me, but I miss hearing from you and I just want to talk._

_You know I was planning on spending the Winter Holidays with my Dad. My Mum was supposed to come down on Christmas and have dinner with us, our first Christmas as a family in eight years. I've been looking forward to it for months, you know that._

_My Dad sent me an owl the morning of my match, telling me he was spending the holidays in Greece with his new girlfriend instead. Said he knew I would understand if he chose Mandy and Athens over me and Mum for Christmas._

_I was just so frustrated after the match and about my Dad that I snapped. I'm sorry, I still have your gift and I want to give it to you when we get back to school._

_Please forgive me_

_-Jake_

She knew, thinking of the countless times he had helped her through tough times, the numerous times she had relied on him, that as soon as she had finished the letter, no matter how difficult things would become…

…he was forgiven.

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVT **

Choppy right?

Next chapter will have Hogwarts Express and/or First Full Moon

Will probably be both TPOV and VPOV again.

Again, won't ask you to review. I'll wait until the next update which should be MUCH sooner.


	20. The Beginning of the End

**Priestpotter:**

**Thanks for the reviews! Even though you didn't have to!**

**Special thanks to all of you who have reviewed each chapter as I've posted them. I know ****anavihs**** has and I'm sure they are more! They are DEFINITELY appreciated.**

**Also, thanks to ****Dr. Dawg**** for reviewing each chapter recently and ****irishgirl32**** for leaving the most exuberant review I've gotten recently! **

**Enjoy Chapter XX!**

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTV**

The Hogwarts Express was rolling swiftly through the hilly English countryside, the outside temperature cloudy and cool, but thankfully dry. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, the light quickly leaving the darkening sky. The waning moon, fresh from a night of fullness only a few days prior, still threw enough light to reflect off the pure, undisturbed white snow outside the scarlet steam engine.

The Winter Holidays had ended and as the Express thundered towards the station in Hogsmeade, the station for all Hogwarts students, Victoire knew that when they reached the platform, the end of her third year would begin.

She was sitting in a compartment near the middle of the scarlet steam engine, reading her new book on magical creatures (_Ferocious Magical Creatures and Why They're Misunderstood_), a gift from her Uncle Charlie. The enchanted torches gave off a steady light as the daylight from outside the window slowly dimmed.

Victoire was seated in the middle of the bench, Teddy in the seat closest to the window, Emily on her left, talking animatedly to Christian. Taylor and Chase were seated together across from her, laughing at the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes catalogue she had lent them. Tristan had cast a quick cushioning charm, a spell well above First Year, and was seated comfortably on the clean floor of the steam engine, reading a Third Year Transfiguration book he had borrowed from Teddy.

Teddy meanwhile, leaning his head against the cool glass of the window, his shaggy blue hair its normal electric blue, was reading a Quidditch magazine her Uncle Ron had given him on the last day at the Burrow, its bright moving pictures a constant distraction for her peripheral vision. It was a special Keeper edition, surprisingly showing Professor Wispen flying around on the cover, his Wasps uniform glinting in the hard sun as he defended the hoops.

He caught her eye, looking up from his magazine to flash a small smile, his body relaxed.

Teddy hadn't spent much time at his childhood home after the passing of his Grandmother. He still visited every day to maintain the property, to search for precious memories he might have forgotten, but as for staying there… she suspected what had made the house a _home_ was gone and there was nothing anyone could do to replace it.

He was staying with his Godfather, with Ginny, and the cousins that adored him as well. Being with his family had helped tremendously and while Teddy would never forget the Grandmother that had raised him, she knew he was beginning to move past her death. She was just glad she helped, however small it may have been.

He loved them, she knew that, but after spending a few weeks with the destructive Potter boys and the hyperactive Lily… well… judging by the look of relief mixed with the sadness as he boarded the Express…she could understand if a little peace at Hogwarts was welcome.

She gave a small shy smile of her own before looking back at her book. Just this small, innocent gesture, a smile between friends, had her stomach flipping, for reasons she wasn't ready to confront. Teddy was… _Teddy _and despite his handsome features, and kind eyes, and wonderful sense of humor, and great sense of understanding and… well… he was just Teddy.

And besides, to him, she was just Victoire, the blond thirteen ear old friend, in the same House as his beautiful girlfriend Amber.

Picking her head up again, she saw Teddy had returned to his magazine, prompting her to look around the rest of the crowded room on the Express. Christian and Emily were laughing about something that had happened over break though she couldn't quite catch what it was.

Chase was pointing excitedly to one of the items, apparently trying to convince Taylor to let him purchase it. Judging by the glare on her face… it wasn't going too well.

Tristan was still reading his spell book, using a quill to make tiny notes in the margins. She hadn't really talked to him all that much, but in the short amount of time she _had _known him, Tristan seemed alright. She didn't really think she would be spending much time with a Slytherin First Year while at Hogwarts, but, somehow, the small, brown haired boy just sort of… grew on you…

"If you're going to stare at me the whole trip, you could at least be more subtle about it" spoke Tristan, not picking his head up from his textbook.

…but he was still a prat!

Teddy laughed loudly before being silenced by Victoire's glare, trying to burn holes in the side of his head.

"So… how was your break Chase? I never got the chance to ask" spoke Teddy nervously, sneaking a sideways glance at the still glaring Victoire, obviously trying to defuse the situation.

"Oh, it was great actually. Me and my cousin…" he began.

"…My cousin and I you mean" corrected Christian, turning his attention towards the blond. Emily rolling her eyes at her boyfriend, well used to his teasing of Chase.

"Yeah, whatever, well _WE _..." giving an annoyed look towards his fellow Hufflepuff, "…spent the Holiday in Greece. He has a house there and since my parents were visiting my Great Aunt Beatrice…" he continued, giving an involuntary shudder as he thought of his Great Aunt, in all her flowery dress and eight-cat glory, "… they said I could stay with him instead. The cities were cool and the nude beaches weren't half bad either" he finished with a smirk.

Taylor looked up from the catalogue, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the Hufflepuff. Chase didn't seem to mind however. Instead, he cocked his left eyebrow, giving a questioning look to the pretty dark-red haired girl when… surprisingly… she looked down, a strong blush on her features along with a small, shy smile.

Teddy, however, must have missed the exchange, unlike Emily and Christian who were both sporting wide smirks, as he continued the conversation, night descending completely on the Hogwarts Express.

"That does sound pretty cool. So Taylor, what'd you do during the Winter Holiday? Just spend time with your family like Victoire and I?" asked Teddy, turning his attention to his fellow Hufflepuff.

"Oh, well… no. My family visited some relatives back in the States, but I didn't feel like taking the long trip. Planes and I don't really mix well" she finished with a nervous laugh, Teddy, Victoire, and Christian nodding while Emily, Chase, and Tristan looked a bit confused.

"What's a… _plains_?" asked Chase, looking slightly puzzled still.

Ignoring his Wizard-born friend, Teddy asked, "That makes sense, but what did _you _do? You didn't just stay home alone the entire Holiday did you?"

"Oh, you know… I traveled a bit… to the Continent" she answered hesitantly, her eyes darting around the room momentarily, lingering a bit on the shifting blond boy besides her.

Christian, after explaining what an airplane was, not a _hairplain_, was still smirking, glancing back and forth between the blond and dark red-haired Hufflepuffs.

"So you traveled… _alone_? No one else came with you? No one… _Chased_… you?" he finished, Chase and Taylor unconsciously moving away from each other, a blush on both their cheeks. It was a rare sight to see the "Quidditch God" Chase Wood look so flustered and she could tell Christian was enjoying the torment.

"Wow, look at the time! We better change into our robes!" announced Chase, quickly rising from his seat, hiding his face behind his now opened trunk.

"You know…" began Tristan, still seated comfortably on the floor, "we still have a bit of time…" he concluded, glancing at his watch.

"Nope, time to change alright" agreed Taylor quickly, rising from her seat to move to other side of the compartment to grab her trunk as well.

Teddy, Victoire, Tristan, Emily, and Christian exchanged glances before finally shrugging in resignation, though the look between Christian and Emily told her that the torment of whatever Chase and Taylor were hiding… was far from over.

As the Boys left the compartment, grumbling as they had to go find a compartment filled with students of their own gender, Victoire retrieved her own robes from her trunk, the Hogwarts Express almost to Hogsmeade Station… and almost to Hogwarts.

***

"Come on Teddy, you know we have to help the first years to the carriages" scolded Taylor as she saw Teddy trying to sneak off, hiding under his cloak.

"I know, I know. But there are going to be… _other _Prefects there as well" whispered Teddy, motioning his hands for emphasis.

"Well you shouldn't have avoided her during the Prefect meeting today. I told you it wasn't going to work. Besides, she _is _your girlfriend" countered Taylor, pushing the larger blue-haired boy towards the growing group of First-years.

It was cold at Hogsmeade Station and rather than catching a heated carriage towards the castle with their fellow Hufflepuffs and Gryffindor friends, they were stuck herding the First years to the carriages instead. The moon had been full a few nights ago and he had spent it with Victoire at Shell Cottage, her parents more than willing to let him stay the night. The waning moon still threw off a good portion of light, allowing them to see better than just what the flickering torches provided.

Teddy and Taylor made their way towards the First years, Teddy looking around nervously, Taylor rolling her eyes at his stupidity.

"Maybe we won't even see her in this mob scene" proposed Taylor, calmly directing a First year Ravenclaw into the closest available carriage. He nodded hopefully before moving towards his assigned position. He was by the train, unable to see the carriages from his vantage point as he helped First years remove their heavy trunks from the train.

Taylor's words turned true as while the First year herd thinned, there was still no sign of Amber. He began to hope, as pathetic as it was to hide from your own girlfriend, that he might not have to see her just quite yet. He didn't _quite _avoid her during the meeting, he just didn't make eye contact, and pretended to be really busy, and was the first the Prefect to leave the carriage when the meeting was dismissed. There wasn't any shame in that!

Oddly, he also didn't see Tristan, but the First year Slytherin could disappear so well it didn't really surprise him. He ushered the last of the First years, a pudgy Slytherin girl, from the train and turned to see Taylor walking towards him, a clipboard in hand.

"Ok, we're almost done. Every First year is on their way towards the castle except Tristan, who, of course, didn't show" spoke Taylor, annoyed at the missing Slytherin. She didn't know Tristan as well as Teddy, but she counted him as a friend. Still, waiting in the wind and cold for someone, friend or not, was still irritating.

"Most of the other Prefects have gone up, so it's just you, me, Amber, and the Heads. There's only one carriage left, but one of us has to stay down for Tristan anyways" she continued, shivering slightly in the cold winter air. "You want to head up and I'll wait for Tristan?" she asked, turning her head to the blue-haired Prefect.

Teddy, thinking of a certain auburn haired Head Girl hopeful, weighed his options carefully.

On the one hand, he could brave the bitter cold, possibly waiting for a student who would never show in which case he might get such severe frostbite that the permanent and debilitating injury ends all hope for a joyful life…

…but…

… on the other hand was Amber Noble.

"I'll think I'll stay. I wouldn't be a proper gentleman if I let you stay behind in the cold" he answered smoothly, puffing out his chest regally, ignoring Taylor's incredulous looks.

"Oh is that so? It wouldn't be that you just don't want to share a carriage with Amber huh?" she replied, her eyebrows cocked.

"Well… _that_… and I don't want to have to take the abuse from Christian and Chase if I returned without you. I'd never hear the end of it" he responded sheepishly causing Taylor to let out a short laugh despite the growing wind chill.

"Ok, the next carriage should be down here any minute. I'll save a seat for you at the Table" she answered apologetically, obviously not pleased with the arrangement either. Taylor was a great friend, and leaving a friend standing at the gates of Hogwarts must have been tough on her. She began to turn away before looking back over her shoulder, "you sure you're going to be alright?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

They hadn't talked about what had happened the day of the Hufflepuff victory, but he had written each of his Hufflepuff friends a letter during the Holidays. He knew this question was about more than just waiting for another carriage.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just go before I change my mind, chivalry be damned!" he called, prompting another laugh from the retreating Badger. He watched Taylor walk away until she turned the corner towards the carriages, out of his sight line.

The wind picked up slightly, the only light the flickering torches on the platform of the station, the shadows moving against the walls of the scarlet steam engine. A small clump of clouds had moved in front of the moon, darkening the station.

Hearing the last of the carriages roll away, he decided to make his way to the loading area, if he was lucky, he _might_ have an epiphany for a fantastic warming charm. Well… he could hope couldn't he?

He walked silently towards the waiting area, hoping Tristan would already be waiting for him. It wasn't unlike the Slytherin to go against the rules, but he was certain he wouldn't be walking all the way back up to castle on such a cold night. Teddy didn't know why he avoided the carriages so far, but he was confident he'd turn up.

Teddy turned the corner, unsurprised to see the back of a pitch black carriage already waiting for him. Hogwarts could be a bit quirky, but it was nothing if not punctual. Walking towards the carriage, he noticed something odd towards the front, something he should have been prepared for, but still wasn't.

The winds shifted, freeing the waning moon from behind the clouds, illuminating the Hogwarts grounds in its light.

Standing before the carriage, its wide nostrils blowing out steaming air in the cool winter night, its black, leathery wings folded against its skeletal body, its hooves pawing against the hard, frozen turf, stood a magical creature he had learned of in his O.W.L. course, but had never seen.

"It's a threstral" spoke a voice behind him. He turned slightly to see Tristan approach, the green and silver robed student walking beside the older Hufflepuff.

Teddy didn't reply at first, staring at the bizarre creature before him. He knew about the creatures, about their amazing sense of direction, even their feeding habits, but he also knew why he could see them.

Why, just a few weeks before, he was blissfully ignorant of their appearance. What he would give to be unable to see them again, to have no reason to see their features, to have never seen death because no one had died. What he would give for that now.

"I figured you'd be able to see them now" spoke Tristan quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. The wind had picked up, the biting cold ripping through their cloaks and yet neither student was in a hurry to move, both lost in their own thoughts.

Teddy nodded slowly, not turning his head away from the beast. He didn't trust himself to speak right away, not as the feelings he'd been able to suppress since Victoire's visit were rushing back. Seeing this threstral gave certain finality to the death of his Gran, a finality he was forced to accept. He had watched her pass by her bedside, been at the funeral when they buried her next to his parents, but seeing this creature, only seeable by those who had seen death, let him know that it was undoubtedly real and even magic itself knew that his Gran was dead.

"You see them too?" asked Teddy softly, finally looking towards the Slytherin. Tristan simply stared at the creature, nodding his head to answer the simple, yet meaningful, question.

The pair stood silently for a few minutes, the wind whipping through the brisk, cool air, all the other students waiting warm and comfortably in the Great Hall, eagerly awaiting the Return Feast.

"My Dad" answered Tristan softly, finally turning from the beast. Teddy remained quiet, giving Tristan the time he needed.

A few minutes past, night fully descended on the Scottish grounds where Hogwarts stood, the waning moon shining proudly in the sky. The rustling of the nearby leaves, the only sound to break the calm of Hogsmeade Station, only two students waiting in the still night.

"We moved around a lot when I was younger. Never stayed anywhere very long, never in the same place. We'd been doing it for as long as I could remember, just the three of us, moving from town to town. I actually can't name a single town where I lived, not a single one. I never ventured into town, never attended primary school, never interacted with anyone besides Mum and Dad. It wasn't bad though, I actually loved it. It was us, just us…" spoke Tristan suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper as he looked at the threstral, a faraway look in his eyes.

"There was this cottage though; we used to go there a lot. A dozen, maybe thirteen, times a year we'd stay in this small, wooden cottage up North somewhere, I never found out where. We'd stay there a few nights, my Mum giving me a break from my tutoring, my Dad actually staying at home during the days. He'd disappear at night though, my Mum and I locking all the windows and doors until he returned in the morning. I don't know what we were trying to keep out, but we never saw anything and I guess that's what we wanted. "

"That cottage was more of a home to me than any of the mansions or manors we stayed before. We weren't just packing, unpacking, or re-packing when we were there, we just… lived there. It wasn't a place we passed through, but a place we _stayed_…" he continued, the nostalgic look still evident in his eyes, though he could also hear a hint of sadness in his voice. Teddy knew, with the threstral before him as proof, that the ending of this story would not be a happy one.

"… it all changed one night though. Nothing was the same after that" he told, pausing momentarily. Tristan didn't trust easily, nor was he that open with many people. There was no doubt in Teddy's mind that he was the first person outside the Davis family to know its brief, but tragic, past.

"I was still pretty young at the time. Maybe five or six at the oldest. My Dad came home late that day, well past midnight. I was already asleep, but I woke when I heard the door slam. He kept saying the same thing over and over again: "He found us. He found us." My Mum rushed into my room right after that, telling me get dressed, that we're leaving. I'd never seen her like that before, so stressed, so… _scared_…" he ended with a shiver. Whether from the cold, or from reliving the story, he wasn't sure. Most likely, it was probably a mix of both.

"… we took a portkey straight to the cottage that night. We usually wait until morning, apparating a bit out of town so we can enjoy the walk, even in the winter. When we took that portkey straight into the living room of the cottage, just after midnight, the doors and windows locked and the shades drawn, well… I knew something was wrong. Something had my parents terrified, something horrible."

They'd been standing by the carriage for over half an hour now, the cool night air disturbed by the steam of their breaths, the rustling of the leaves growing as the wind continued to pick up. And still, the two boys stood by the abandoned station, one reliving the worst night of his life, the other too mesmerized by the tale to pay attention to the cold.

"We stayed huddled in that room for what seemed an eternity. No talking, no movement, no... _anything_, just quiet. We didn't light a fire or use a spell, the moonlight from between the shades the only light we had to go on. I thought we'd stay like that all night. In hindsight… I wish we had. I wish nothing had happened that night at all… nothing at all…"

"It was still dark out when it happened. It wasn't much at first, just a small popping sound, barely audible over our own breathing. My Dad heard it though, I heard him whisper 'He broke through the wards,' my Mum tightening her grip on me. I didn't understand it obviously. I didn't understand anything."

"Nothing happened for a few minutes, just the sound of us breathing. I was actually beginning to relax when I heard the knock at the door. It didn't seem odd at the time, that there would be a knock. But now… it just doesn't make sense. Why knock? Why be so confident? How did he have us so cornered? My Dad was the first to break the huddle, over the protests of my Mum. She was crying by then, the heavy breathing now shadowed by the soft weeping."

"My Dad opened the door, telling us to hide first. We were in the closet, the most cliché of hiding spots when I think about it" he paused, giving a sad laugh. "There was one man on the other side of that door. Just one man that had us so scared. I couldn't see the face. The moonlight behind him silhouetted his body, covering his face in shadow. They were talking, about what, I have no idea. I was practically being strangled by my Mum at this point, the voices so muffled through the door I couldn't hear any of it. I don't think I'd even recognize the voice if I heard it again. It was just the two of them, but the argument got heated. They were shouting something at each other before my Dad turned his back to him, denying that man whatever he sought from us. That was how he died, a killing curse straight to the back, right between the shoulder blades. I saw his face as it happened. I can still see it sometimes, even now. He was… dead… before he even hit the floor."

"And then he was just gone. Just turned out the door and left, leaving my Mum and I in the closet, and my Dad lying on the floor…" he finished, his eyes filing with unshed tears. Teddy had never, ever, seen Tristan get emotional, over anything. For him to break that façade meant this story was the most painful memory Tristan had, a memory that, unfortunately, Teddy could relate to.

"We don't move around anymore. I guess he got what he wanted, or he knows we don't have it. We just stay at the Manor, a large house yes, but not a home. I haven't been home since that night. I don't think I ever will be."

He stayed silent after that, Teddy unable to break the heavy weight pressing down on both of them. It was then that Teddy realized what Tristan had done, why he had waited behind to tell him a story from his past. His Gran's passing was difficult, almost numbingly so, but he wasn't alone. The people around him, like Tristan, would be there for him, just as he should be there for them.

"Thanks mate" he responded, unable to explain how much gratitude he felt, his words falling painfully short.

Tristan looked away from the threstral finally, his eyes clearing. He gave one last, small smile, saying "Hey, what are friends for right?" before he face melted back into its normal stony exterior.

Tristan was a friend, they both knew it, but Tristan had never actually acknowledged it, put that relationship into words, a finality. He didn't take the compliment lightly.

Teddy stayed silent for a few moments, wrestling with an idea in his mind.

"Tristan… what made the Purebloods angry at your Father? Why were you being chased?" he asked, his eyes showing concern.

Tristan responded with a small laugh, turning his eyes back to the threstral.

"It seems odd, but the two aren't connected. I've no idea why that man chased us. No idea whatsoever. I don't even think I'd recognize him if I ran into him, let alone try to track him down and find out why. As for why my Mum was shunned for marrying my Dad? That's not a secret I'm allowed to tell. Not even to _you_" he ended in a whisper.

Teddy accepted the answer, knowing there were many secrets of the Davis family he would most likely never know.

"Come on, let's head back up to the castle before I get hypothermia. I wouldn't want them to send a search party for the missing Hufflepuff Golden Boy anyways" he smirked, his sarcastic attitude reforming again. It may have been brief, brought on by a painful memory, but he had seen the real Tristan… something few people had experienced.

Rolling his eyes as he climbed into the carriage, the threstral dutifully pulling them towards Hogwarts, the clouds moved in front of the moon again, casting darkness on the grounds as they left them behind.

**TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVT**

**Thought it was a good place to end it.**

**Next chapter is mostly VPOV, maybe a little TPOV**

**Liked it? **

**How would I know?**

**REVIEW!**


	21. One Crazy Return

Chapter 21

TVTVTVTVTVTVTVT

Breakfasts at Hogwarts were usually pretty tame, most of the students still too tired to do anything particularly rowdy until later in the day. Even the teachers, as unpredictable, and some would claim as insane, as the students, usually waited until later in the day to drop bombshells on the Hogwarts attendees. No, besides the occasional inaccurate or… _unreliable _owl (that poor, _poor _Ravenclaw boy), breakfasts were pretty slow.

This had the unfortunate habit, however, of putting _some _dark-haired Gryffindor third-years _asleep _when their friends were talking to them.

"Emily!" shouted Victoire directly in her friend's ear, though she may as well have signed it to her for all the good it did.

"Emily!" she tried again, this time even louder, gaining the attention of some nearby students. Victoire and Emily were both seated at the Gryffindor Table for breakfast, both their plates filled with the house-elves' finest. Victoire was almost finished while Emily's plate was still near full. She couldn't blame her really, it probably _was _fairly difficult to eat while sound asleep.

Victoire finally let out a sigh, admitting momentary defeat. Emily had fallen asleep mid way through buttering her toast, her head hung forward slightly with the butter knife and the half-buttered toast both held slightly in the air, just below chin high.

The noise of the Great Hall covered up the soft snores that Victoire knew only too well.

Deciding sound alone wouldn't wake her stubborn friend; she needed to make a more… _direct _approach. After a quick glance around the Great Hall, spotting Teddy talking animatedly to his friends, though she avoided gazing at the Ravenclaw Table, she causally stretched, pretending to yawn. In reality, she used her left hand to swat Emily's elbow from the table, causing her to jerk, hopefully, awake.

It worked… for the most part. Emily woke when she lost her balance, jerking awake and blinking rapidly. Luckily, she held a firm grip on her buttered toast. Unluckily, her grip on the knife wasn't so tight. It flew a good six or seven yards, but it didn't do any permanent damage really, nothing that Madam Pomfrey couldn't… reattach.

"What's goin' on?" she asked wildly, jerking her head towards Victoire, blissfully unaware of where her lost knife embedded itself.

"Wow, look at the time! Time to go! Come on!" rushed Victoire, pushing the Gryffindor away from the table as she glanced fearfully back over her shoulder at the groaning Sixth year boy.

Victoire, pushing a very confused Emily, made a fast retreat out of the Great Hall, only slowing once they were near the Grand Staircase.

Emily, finally getting her bearings, cocked an eyebrow towards her blond housemate.

"Do I want to know?" she asked softly, glancing back towards the Great Hall.

Victoire, finally assured they weren't being followed by a justifiably angry Sixth year, was about to inform her best friend of the incredible benefits of plausible deniability when she was interrupted.

"Trying to make it to class in record time?" shouted a voice farther down, Victoire turning to see the familiar grin of her blue-haired Hufflepuff friend. He was wearing his Hogwarts uniform, the black robes offset by the yellow trim and the Hufflepuff crest on his chest. His shaggy electric-blue hair striking in the early morning sun. Christian was beside him, shaking his head at his girlfriend with a small grin also on his face.

"We thought it best to leave quickly" she answered, also grinning.

"Yeah, I'll bet" he replied. The Great Hall was emptying, the students beginning their trek through the castle towards their first class, which for Victoire and Emily was Transfiguration with Professor Jones.

"Teddy Remus Lupin!" shouted a voice, farther down the Hall, Teddy instantly cringing, a pained expression on his features. Slumping his shoulders as he sighed, he turned to meet his fate. Victoire looked over his shoulders to spot the approaching view of a very angry Amber Noble.

"We were supposed to walk _together _to Charms! How many times have I told you?!" she continued, her auburn hair whipping dangerously. She stood before the nervous blue-haired Keeper, obviously awaiting a reply to her rhetorical question.

"Oh… um. A lot?" he answered weakly, looking towards Christian for support. Unfortunately for him, Christian seemed unable, or unwilling, to bail out his friend.

She didn't answer, instead sighing heavily, rolling her eyes. "The things I put up with! Sometimes I don't _why _I date you" she continued, turning away from Teddy momentarily as she waited for the staircase to arrive.

Teddy froze at that last statement, Victoire practically able to hear the gears spinning in his head. Finally, after a few seconds of what must have been a fairly memorable inner debate, the handsome Hufflepuff turned towards the auburn-haired Prefect.

"Maybe we shouldn't" spoke up Teddy confidently, obviously voicing a thought he must have been having for quite some time.

Amber turned slowly, her pretty face looking at Teddy with slight disbelief, though her eyes still glinted dangerously.

"Shouldn't _what_?" she asked slowly. Teddy collected a deep breath, the rest of his Hufflepuff friends arriving beside him. Taylor placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a nod along with Chase, Christian, and, surprisingly, Emily.

"Maybe… we shouldn't see each other anymore" he answered, unaware he had the attention of most of the school population. She could even spot out Tristan in the mob surrounding the two Prefects, his large smirk confusing her even more.

"Are _YOU _breaking up with _ME_?" she asked very slowly, her eyes narrowing.

Teddy took an audible gulp, taking a long breathe to alleviate his nerves.

"Yes, yes I am" he replied, his face breaking out into a wide smile. His posture instantly relaxed, seemingly a great weight lifted from his shoulder. Amber stood there for a few seconds, the Sixth year Prefect at a loss for words, or perhaps at a loss for words she could shout loud enough.

"_WHAT_?!" she shrieked, several vases on the Seventh Floor above them shattering.

Guess not…

The Transfiguration class was only half-full when the Gryffindor girls arrived, taking their traditional seat near the middle of the class.

It was only a few minutes later, just enough time for the ringing the leave Victoire's ears.

"Quite an eventful morning huh?" asked Emily, setting her books down on the table. Victoire had to agree, the morning was nothing if not eventful.

"Might not have been so eventful if you had just stayed awake during breakfast though" countered Victoire, steering the topic away from what Emily obviously wanted to talk about. "It _has _been over two weeks since the Winter Holidays! You should be used getting up at a decent hour by now."

"Not _my _fault" she answered, taking the hint and keeping away from the morning's most memorable scene. "Tuesdays are _always _the most exhausting!"

"You say that about _every _day" smirked Victoire, rolling her eyes. Emily's retort, as inventive or cunning as it may have been, was cut short by the arrival of their Transfiguration teach, Professor Jones.

Just as in their previous classes, Professor Jones commanded respect from his students without saying a word. He remained a mystery to the greater portion of Hogwarts and, most likely, to everyone but Professor Jones himself, that is how it would remain.

He wore an odd expression as he turned to face the silent classroom, the pale light from the windows streaming in behind him. He seemed almost… _contemplative_, searching the faces of the students. For what, no one could be sure.

"Ms. Matthews, who was the first Dark Wizard in recorded history?" he asked suddenly, calling on a timid Ravenclaw girl near the back of class.

"Um… Herpo the Foul… sir?" she replied hesitantly. Her uncertainty was reasonable as Professor Jones had surely never started a class like this before.

"Correct Ms. Matthews, five points to Ravenclaw" he answered, his eyes sweeping the class once more. "Mr. Carroll, who was the last great Dark Wizard?" he asked.

"Lord Voldemort sir" the Gryffindor boy answered quickly.

"Correct Mr. Carroll, five points to Gryffindor" he replied. He surveyed the class once more, his dark brown, almost black, eyes meeting those of his students. His search found Victoire suddenly, his eyes connecting with hers.

"Ms. Weasley, who will be the _next _great Dark Wizard?" he asked, his eyes remaining locked to hers.

Victoire, understandably, drew a blank to the unfamiliar question. Looking to Emily for help, her friend could only shrug in reply, clearly not knowing the answer either.

"I… don't know sir" she answered, looking back up at her Professor. Instead of looking angry or disappointed as she expected, he was wearing a look of almost… resignation.

"I did not expect you to Ms. Weasley" he replied, no hint of malice in his voice. Whatever the point he was attempting to make, it obviously was not to ridicule.

"There is no one who can answer that question… for there is no way of knowing who will rise in the Darkness" he continued, his eyes continuing to survey the class, meeting the confused gazes of his pupils.

"They hide, sometimes in the shadows" he began, his eyes continuing to search, "sometimes in plain sight, but always preparing to strike. They keep their intentions hidden, preparing for the time where they can unleash themselves upon the world, just as power-hungry and ruthless as their predecessors."

"You must be ready for them, preparing to fight them at any time, whoever or wherever they may be. They may be the obvious choice" he continued, his eyes meeting with Victoire's briefly, "or the person you least expect. It can be anyone, a fellow student, a trusted Auror, or even… a Professor" he finished, watching the captivated faces of his students.

"It is your duty to keep vigilante, to warn those close to you, your family, your _friends_" he stressed, meeting Victoire's light blue eyes once more, "of the dangers they face, no matter how safe they feel. Darkness is everywhere and you would do well to remember that."

He paused for a moment, watching the captivated faces of his students.

"Now, for today we will be transfiguring living animals into inanimate objects…" he started, returning to his normal role as an instructor, giving no hint of the speech he just spoke.

"That was weird" whispered Emily, her eyes wide. Victoire could only nod in agreement.

The clock above the Gryffindor fireplace struck eight, only another hour left until Victoire needed to leave to meet with Teddy. It had been over a week since the… _incident_. She hadn't had much time to talk with the blue-haired Hufflepuff, but she'd have plenty of time to talk to him soon, only the two of them walking the deserted halls of the castle.

She had seen the tall Hufflepuff occasionally though, he seemed almost… _free_, as pathetic as that was. Though, with her current situation, not even with her Gryffindor bravery and foolishness could she look at Jake, let alone talk to him. It was just… weird. Almost a month between contact, and only in the form of an apology letter, hadn't helped either.

Victoire and Emily were both seated at the one of the tables littering the Gryffindor common room, Victoire absentmindedly pretending to finish her History of Magic essay as she stared at the clock, Emily making the final touches on her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework for Professor Wispen.

Letting out an impressive yawn, Emily glanced at the seemingly stationary clock.

"Finished! Finally! I'm going to bed early, I can't take any more homework tonight" she spoke tiredly, letting out another large yawn.

"At nine o'clock?" questioned the blond, drawing her eyes off the stubbornly slow-moving clock.

"Thursdays are _always _the most exhausting" explained the dark-haired Gryffindor, rolling up her parchment and putting her books back in her bag.

"I'm sure" she replied, waving off her friend as she retreated up the staircase to the girl dorms.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear the sarcasm in that" she answered, her foot reaching the base of the girls' staircases.

"Doesn't make it true" she called back, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. I'm too tired for this. Just say Hi to Teddy for me" she called back, walking up the spiraling staircase to her dormitory.

To someone outside the conversation, it would look planned… the reason they both froze at the same moment, though of course, they wouldn't know it was for complete different reasons.

"What did you just say?" asked Victoire in disbelief, turning towards the silent black haired girl.

Slowly, like a small child caught taking an extra cookie before dinner, Emily turned around with a sheepish look upon her face.

"Just… buy a teddy for me?" she replied hopefully.

Victoire just sighed in response, chastising herself for not realizing it sooner.

"How long have you known?" she asked, not trusting herself to look Emily in the eye.

"How long have I known… _what?_" she replied, causing Victoire to pick her head up and send her friend a glare.

Sighing, Emily came clean, "I've been your roommate for over two and half years, you didn't think I'd know you were sneaking out once a month?" she asked, turning around to sit back down at the Common Room table.

The crackling fire was still roaring strongly, throwing off an uneven, pale yellow light over the scarlet and red themed common room.

"How did you know I was going to see Teddy?" she asked in response.

Emily just shrugged, "I am dating Christian you know. They do share a dorm after all."

"Well I guess it's not _that _big a deal you know" answered Victoire, giving her friend a small, but genuine, smile. Emily returned the gesture, happy that she wasn't upsetting her dorm mate. Sitting down in the cushioned chairs by the work table, she looked over at her blond friend with new enthusiasm.

"So… is he a good kisser?" she asked, her face breaking out into a wide grin.

"_What?!_" shouted Victoire, her eyes going wide.

"Oh, that bad? I'm sure he'll get better with practice" she replied consolingly, trying her best to reassure her obviously distraught friend.

"Better with… what are you… I have no idea how he kisses!" she spluttered, finishing with a shout. Emily just raised her eyebrow, confused.

"But you have to know by _now_? I mean, how long have you two been snogging? A year, two?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Wha… we're not…" she began with a shout before glancing up at the girls' staircase, lowering her voice to a harsh whisper, "we're not snogging."

"Yeah right" she answered skeptically, "you just happen to go on romantic moonlit walks with one of the hottest guys in Hogwarts and you're telling _me _that you two aren't finding a comfy broom shed to get in some good snogging time?"

"It's not romantic" she countered, "not really" she finished weakly.

"Please, I wish Christian would do something _half _as romantic as that for me" she replied, "though, for our two month anniversary, he got all these rose petals together and he waited for me in nothing but his…"

"Emily! Not the time!" she interrupted, closing her eyes tightly in vain to get the image of a less-than-appropriate Christian out of her mind. That was _not _an image she wanted to imagine.

"I'm just saying, you snuck out at least once a month… except when you started dating Jake. Now that you two are having a bit of a rough patch, it doesn't surprise me that you'd want some quality time with Teddy. Personally, I think he's cuter anyway" she finished with a nod.

"I… am… _not_… snogging… my… best… friend!" she responded, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"Oh please, this is Teddy! Gorgeous, muscled, blue-haired, star Hufflepuff Keeper, Prefect Teddy we're talking about! You can't tell me you haven't thought about it…" she countered, a small grin on her face.

Victoire just shook her head, unable to meet Emily's eyes once again. The truth was… she _had _thought about it. A _lot _actually.

"We're not snogging and it's not romantic" she answered softly, trying to convince herself more than anyone.

***

"You're late" smirked Teddy as Victoire walked up to him, finding him sitting in the deserted corridor at their usual spot.

"You're early" she answered, returning with a grin of her own. Teddy just shook his head, years of experience telling him he could never win this argument.

They started down the abandoned corridor, seemingly no path or destination in mind. A comfortable silence stretched between, both unwilling to disturb the calm night air with idle talk.

For Victoire, she thought on what Emily had said, on just how ridiculous it was that she and Teddy would be snogging in a broom shed all night. She consciously avoided the thought of how she probably wouldn't mind.

Looking over at Teddy, his light brown hair reflecting the bright moonlight from tonight's full moon, his toned body silhouetted against the light from the window, his chocolate eyes lost in thought, she couldn't help but think that… no… she probably wouldn't mind at all.

"Pretty crazy return from the Holidays huh?" spoke Teddy, turning to look at the blond beside him, jolting her out of inappropriate thoughts.

Thinking of Teddy's _very _public breakup with Amber, her recent Transfiguration class, and Emily's admission earlier tonight, pretty crazy summed it up fairly well.

"Yeah no kidding" she sighed, too many topics on her mind to start a real conversation.

"I missed these walks you know" Teddy started, nudging Victoire softly to get her attention. "It wasn't the same without you. I couldn't take my eyes off the Marauder's Map, even when you already fell asleep" he finished, turning to look into the confused eyes of his walking partner.

"I never went to sleep" she answered, her wavy blond hair waving in the moonlight, giving it an almost silver look.

Now it was Teddy's turn to be confused, questioning chocolate eyes meeting soft blue.

"But I saw your dot on the Map, you didn't move from before the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room all night" he replied, taking the still blank Map from his back pocket and holding it in his hands.

"You're right. I stayed awake in that chair all night, keeping the fire going until morning. I… was so… _angry _at you, with everything going on, but I couldn't bring myself to fall asleep and relax when I knew you couldn't. I just couldn't do it" she explained, her kind blue eyes shifting back up to his as they walked down an unfamiliar corridor.

Teddy didn't reply straight away, he just looked down at the pretty blond beside him, a small grin lighting up his face.

"I'm really glad you're here now Vic" he replied honestly, his chocolate eyes meeting hers.

She smiled back before a light frown graced her face.

"Why'd you call me that?" she asked suddenly, looking up at the taller Prefect questioningly.

"Call you what?" he asked confused, the pair walking down a familiar set of stairs. The moonlight still streamed through the many windows of the castle, illuminating the deserted corridors of Hogwarts.

"Vic. You called me Vic. Why?" she asked again, easily keeping pace with his relaxed stride.

Teddy just shrugged in reply, looking down at the blond briefly before looking down the abandoned corridor.

"I've been calling you Vicky since you were that little girl that played in the mud with me" he laughed, receiving a playful, but not too soft, nudge in the ribs from his walking partner, "I figured you'd want a new nickname now since, you know, you're not a little girl anymore" he answered, the honesty clear in his voice.

Victoire looked down for a moment, a small smile gracing her lips. She didn't know what to do about Teddy, but she definitely knew that not seeing her as a little girl was a very good thing. A very, _very _good thing.

They walked down another flight of stairs, keeping away from Filch and his demonic cat, Teddy and Victoire's impressive amount of experience telling them the crazy old caretaker was by Gryffindor Tower now. The Marauder's Map had been placed carefully back in his pocket, Teddy's concentration on the petite blond next to him.

Victoire looked back up to see Teddy grinning softly, his kind brown eyes meeting hers. They were walking slower now, their light footsteps on the hard stone reverberating throughout the silent hallway. The moonlight continued to stream through the windows, though they were much closer to the ground floor now.

As they walked, Teddy's arm would occasionally brush against hers, sending chills up her arm. He seemed not to notice, though his hand did brush her arm more often now. They neared the center of the hallway, a closed broom closest on their left as they walked.

"Emily thinks these walks are romantic" she spoke suddenly, at a loss for something to say.

"Fancy that" he replied casually, his face splitting into a soft smile.

Teddy stopped suddenly, turning to face the pretty blond, taking a step forward to close the narrow gap between them. He was close now, his strong chest only inches from her, his face close to hers as well. His hand came to rest softly on her arm, goose bumps rising on her arm, though she took no notice.

He soft brown eyes, burning with determination were locked on hers…

There was a rustling behind them, reverberating from the closed broom closet. It wasn't loud, but certainly noticeable in the deserted hallway. Whatever it was, they weren't alone.

Teddy moved swiftly, taking a step towards the door as he pushed Victoire protectively behind him. His wand was out in a flash, his left hand grasping an object in his pocket. She couldn't see what it was, but the outline showed it was something small and jagged.

The noise from behind the closed door was louder now, whatever in there was moving fast and seemingly sporadically.

"You think it's Filch?" she asked softly, the mood turning drastically. Her heart was still racing though not from excitement now, but from fear. She didn't care about Filch really, or Peeves for that matter, but there was no place completely safe from harm. Uncle Harry's legendary tales could attest to that.

"In a broom closet this far from the Towers? We're only a few floors from the dungeons" he whispered back, urgency sounding in his voice. Obviously, he wasn't taking this lightly either. "It's not Filch."

Victoire nodded silently before an idea struck her, an obvious idea really.

"The Map!" she exclaimed, before quickly lowering her voice.

"Huh?" replied the Prefect, his stance still defensive as he faced the broom closet, his body shielding Victoire's protectively. The noises were growing, something large and hard kept hitting the door, whether it was trying to free itself or not, they didn't know.

"The Marauders' Map! Let me see it!" she answered softly, receiving the map from Teddy when he fished it out of his back pocket. He handed it back without turning his eyes from the door, Victoire quickly giving the proper phrase.

She glanced down at the map, quickly finding their tiny dots. Glancing around them on the map, she saw the inside of the nearby broom closet.

She busted out laughing, it was just too funny. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could be better than this. It took all of her willpower just to stay standing she was laughing so hard.

Earning a confused look from Teddy, she continued laughing, stepping out from behind the protective Hufflepuff.

"What are doing?" he whispered urgently, moving to block her from the door once more.

"Just get behind that armor" she whispered back, though amusement was clearly heard in her voice.

"What? Why?" he asked, completely confused now. The rustling hadn't stopped. If anything, it had gotten louder.

"Because you look like you" she answered, shooing him away with her hands. Reluctantly, he released his tight grip on his wand, subconsciously releasing his hold on the mysterious object in his pocket as well. Moving behind one of the many suits of armor that lined the corridors of Hogwarts, he hid from view, though he could still clearly see the door of the closet.

Victoire crept forwards, her hand almost to the handle of the door. The rustling inside was even louder know, something moving around quickly inside the door.

"You sure about this" he asked concerned. Victoire could be… impulsive sometimes.

"Believe me, you're going to want to see this" she answered back, a wide grin on her face.

Reaching forward the final few inches, she took a firm grip on the handle before yanking back, opening the insides of the broom closet for the world to see.

Teddy stood there stunned, the sight too unbelievable to be real.

-

-

Taylor and Chase, both in matching Hufflepuff pajamas, snogging furiously.

TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVT

I couldn't decide how to break up Teddy and Amber, but then I realized that as the Godson of Harry Potter and Victoire's best friend, it would be simple! Do it completely impulsively!

Liked it? Review it!

I just posted a new story, but I'm not sure if I want to continue it. Check it out and tell me what you think!


End file.
